Chinese leader Xi Jinping told visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Wednesday that attempts to limit China’s access to technology would not halt the country’s development, according to AP News.
In 2023, the Netherlands introduced export licensing requirements for the sale of equipment to produce advanced processor chips. It came after the United States blocked China’s access to advanced chips and the equipment to produce them, citing security concerns.
An online report by state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi Jinping as stating that the establishment of scientific and technological barriers and the fragmentation of industrial and supply chains would lead to division and confrontation.
The Chinese people also have the right to legitimate development, and no force can stop the pace of China’s scientific and technological development and progress.
Rutte claimed he would raise the issue of intellectual property rights, subsidies and human rights. Dutch company ASML is the country’s largest company and the world’s only manufacturer of machines that use extreme ultraviolet lithography to produce advanced semiconductors. In 2023, China became ASML’s second-largest market, accounting for 29 per cent of its revenues, as Chinese companies purchased the machines before licensing requirements came into force.
Beijing has repeatedly accused the United States of trying to curb China’s economic development by restricting access to technology. In response, Xi Jinping launched a campaign to develop domestic chips and other high-tech products.
ASML recently threatened to leave the country because of anti-immigration policies that could affect the company’s ability to recruit talented professionals. Now government officials are struggling to prevent the firm from leaving.
NATO and its growing ties with Asia could also be a topic of discussion at Wednesday’s talks. Rutte is a leading candidate to become the next head of NATO, an organisation criticised by China for provoking regional tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
