Dutch Minister Admits He Would Do It All Again Over Chip Standoff with China
In a surprising move, Vincent Karremans, the Dutch minister at the center of a heated standoff over a Chinese-owned chipmaker, Nexperia, has revealed that he would repeat his actions if given the chance. The six-week dispute between the EU and Beijing over Nexperia's vital supplies of automotive semiconductors has sent shockwaves through the global car industry.
Karremans, who led the Dutch intervention in September, warned that the crisis serves as a "wake-up call" to Europe and the West about their dependence on China. He expressed gratitude for the steps taken by Chinese authorities to resume chip supplies to Europe but stressed that he would have done the same thing again if given the benefit of hindsight.
The standoff began when the Netherlands took supervisory control of Nexperia, citing risks to European economic security. The decision was made at the highest level of the Dutch government and sparked a furious reaction from Beijing, which banned the export of Nexperia's chips for four days. This move threw carmakers' supply chains into chaos, leading to production pauses in Mexico and warnings from EU manufacturers that they were "days away" from stoppages.
Karremans revealed that he had conversations with critical intelligence sources that showed Nexperia was moving parts of its physical operations in Hamburg to China. He argued that if Wingtech, the Chinese company owning Nexperia, had moved its semiconductor wafer production to China, then Europe would have faced a "full dependency" on China.
The Dutch minister has stated that he is in direct contact with the German car industry and other clients of Nexperia, waiting for confirmation that they have received the chips. He hinted that nothing will happen until the first chips arrive on European shores.
Karremans' comments have raised eyebrows given that his VVD party finished third in last month's general election. However, he remains economy minister until a new government is formed, which could take a year.
The crisis has served as a stark reminder of the risks associated with relying heavily on China for essential technology and raw materials. As Karremans noted, "If I had been in the same position, with the knowledge I know now, I would have done the same thing again."
In a surprising move, Vincent Karremans, the Dutch minister at the center of a heated standoff over a Chinese-owned chipmaker, Nexperia, has revealed that he would repeat his actions if given the chance. The six-week dispute between the EU and Beijing over Nexperia's vital supplies of automotive semiconductors has sent shockwaves through the global car industry.
Karremans, who led the Dutch intervention in September, warned that the crisis serves as a "wake-up call" to Europe and the West about their dependence on China. He expressed gratitude for the steps taken by Chinese authorities to resume chip supplies to Europe but stressed that he would have done the same thing again if given the benefit of hindsight.
The standoff began when the Netherlands took supervisory control of Nexperia, citing risks to European economic security. The decision was made at the highest level of the Dutch government and sparked a furious reaction from Beijing, which banned the export of Nexperia's chips for four days. This move threw carmakers' supply chains into chaos, leading to production pauses in Mexico and warnings from EU manufacturers that they were "days away" from stoppages.
Karremans revealed that he had conversations with critical intelligence sources that showed Nexperia was moving parts of its physical operations in Hamburg to China. He argued that if Wingtech, the Chinese company owning Nexperia, had moved its semiconductor wafer production to China, then Europe would have faced a "full dependency" on China.
The Dutch minister has stated that he is in direct contact with the German car industry and other clients of Nexperia, waiting for confirmation that they have received the chips. He hinted that nothing will happen until the first chips arrive on European shores.
Karremans' comments have raised eyebrows given that his VVD party finished third in last month's general election. However, he remains economy minister until a new government is formed, which could take a year.
The crisis has served as a stark reminder of the risks associated with relying heavily on China for essential technology and raw materials. As Karremans noted, "If I had been in the same position, with the knowledge I know now, I would have done the same thing again."
. Like, what even is the point of having a crisis if you're just gonna say "oh well" and do the same thing next time? It's like, don't they want to actually fix anything or learn from their mistakes? 
And what's with the "I'm in direct contact with the German car industry"... big deal, who isn't talking to them? 
yeah right... like that's gonna get EU out of its own mess. It's all about China being the convenient scapegoat here. If Karremans is being honest, he probably did what needed to be done at the time and wouldn't say otherwise. All this talk about "wake-up call" just covers his tracks 
it's weird though that this minister was in charge during a time when the VVD party wasn't doing super well in elections lol. anyway, i guess you can say he's making waves in Europe and getting everyone to think about their reliance on China 
. People are all shook up that Netherlands took control of Nexperia and China got all upset 
. But, Vincent Karremans is saying that if he had to do it all over again, he would 
. I get why people might think this is crazy, but at the same time, can you blame him for wanting to protect Europe's interests? 
. And Karremans has some legit points about Wingtech moving its operations to China 
. I think it's cool that he's still pushing the EU car industry to get their chips, even if things are slow going 
.
. You never know what's gonna happen next in these situations. But hey, at least someone's speaking truth to power 
.
. Karremans' comments are spot on - we can't let fear dictate our decisions, we need to take control of our own destiny 
. I'm glad he's still in touch with the German car industry and clients of Nexperia, that's crucial right now 
. this whole situation is a wake-up call for Europe to re-evaluate its relationship with China 
. let's hope things get resolved soon and we can get back to business as usual 
.
He's totally got the Netherlands' back and isn't afraid to speak up about China's influence over Europe's chip supplies. The guy is literally willing to go through all that drama AGAIN if he had to! 
I'm kinda impressed? Like, who else would stand by their decision like that? 
It's a huge wake-up call for Europe and the West to reevaluate their dependence on China... lets hope it sparks some real change 
.
. i feel him though. it is a big deal when ur country's economy gets intertwined with another country's 
. Karremans seems like a total boss 
for standing up to China and advocating for European economic security 
, then more power to him! His statement about being "days away" from stoppages is giving me major anxiety 
, but at least he's keeping the EU informed 
. It's a wake-up call for Europe and the West, for sure 
It just seems like a classic case of supply and demand - if Europe wants those chips, they should be willing to pay the price, right? 
But then again, you can't blame Karremans for trying to protect European interests. He's been there, done that, and got the T-shirt... or in this case, the chip stand-down 
. All I'm saying is, let's not make a mountain out of a molehill here. We need to focus on building our own tech industries and reducing our dependence on China. Otherwise, we'll be back to square one when another crisis hits 
. wonder whats gonna happen now that the chips ar finally comin in 
? like he's literally saying i'm glad i could mess up europe's chip supply chain for six whole weeks 
. i mean, who needs foreign policy expertise when you've got intuition and a strong sense of confidence? 
, where they risked losing the entire market if things went wrong. And honestly, it was a bold move, especially from the Netherlands 
and put pressure on China 
to back down.
- according to data from the US Department of Commerce, China accounts for around 50% of global semiconductor production 
!
. In fact, with hindsight, he probably should've done more 
.
... i can see why he'd want to take action to protect Europe's interests, especially when it comes to something as crucial as chip supplies. but at the same time, you gotta wonder what would've happened if they had just gone along with China 
. maybe it's a good thing they're communicatin with german car industry clients, hope everything gets sorted out soon 
. By taking supervisory control of Nexperia, the Netherlands aimed to prevent Wingtech from further consolidating its production in China 
.
. This suggests that he was aware of the risks associated with relying on Chinese chipmakers and took proactive steps to mitigate them 
. But his willingness to stand firm in the face of Chinese pressure is a testament to his commitment to European interests 
.
. Whether Karremans' strategy will succeed remains to be seen