China warns of fresh chip crisis as Nexperia dispute flares up
China warns the ‘Dutch side’ must bear responsibility if the Nexperia dispute reignites global automotive chip shortages
China’s commerce ministry warned that the “Dutch side” should be held accountable if the latest dispute between Nexperia and its Chinese subsidiary triggers another global chip supply crisis, adding to concerns over further worldwide disruption.
“Nexperia’s [latest] action has seriously disrupted the company’s normal production and operations,” a ministry spokesperson said in a press conference on Saturday. “If this again triggers a global semiconductor supply chain crisis, the Dutch side must bear full responsibility.”
China had consistently taken a responsible approach towards the global semiconductor supply chain, the spokesperson added.
The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday outside regular business hours.
The Chinese commerce ministry’s sharp remarks came a day after Nexperia’s China subsidiary accused the Dutch headquarters of halting access to office accounts for all employees in China, the latest episode in the companies’ months-long dispute that had at one point severely disrupted the global automotive chip supply chain.
Since Tuesday the Dutch headquarters had “implemented a mass disabling of office accounts for all employees in China … causing significant disruption to operations in China”, according to a statement published on Nexperia China’s official WeChat account on Friday.