In a post on the Chinese social media platform WeChat, Nexperia’s Chinese division asserted its independence from the Dutch headquarters in Nijmegen, stating it operates and makes decisions autonomously. Employees, it said, have the right to ignore instructions “from outside.”
The division emphasized that its operations will continue uninterrupted and that staff are expected to follow “local leadership” directives. This declaration follows a decisive move by the Dutch government, which has significantly curtailed the influence of Chinese parent company Wingtech over Nexperia’s Dutch operations. The chipmaker is now restricted from making major changes to its assets, personnel, or intellectual property.
The intervention stems from concerns that critical semiconductor technology and production capacity could be lost to the Netherlands or the European Union. Nexperia, originally a Philips spin-off, was acquired by Wingtech in 2018. On Sunday, caretaker Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans stated on Buitenhof that a meeting is planned with his Chinese counterpart. He reiterated that the ministry acted “on its own initiative” to safeguard national interests.