China accuses Dutch of prolonging chip war that threatens to halt car factories
China has told the Netherlands to “stop interfering” in the seized chipmaker Nexperia, accusing it of prolonging a dispute that has disrupted the global car industry,The Dutch government took control of the semiconductor-maker at the end of September amid US security concerns about the company’s Chinese parent, Wingtech Technology,In response, China halted exports of Nexperia products, restricting access to the vital components used in everything from airbags to central locking, and prompting carmakers in the EU, the UK and Japan to issue warnings that supply shortages could lead to stoppages,The EU is in the middle of urgent talks with Beijing to lift export controls on the chips and also on crucial rare earth minerals, after a summit with officials from both sides in Brussels on Friday,On Tuesday, however, China signalled its decisions were still being coloured by the Nexperia dispute, accusing the Dutch of failing to cooperate on export exemptions and urging them to work in a “constructive manner” to ease supply chain issues.
“The Netherlands continues to act unilaterally without taking concrete steps to resolve the issue, which will inevitably exacerbate the adverse impact on the global semiconductor supply chain,” China’s ministry of commerce said.“Neither China nor the global industry wishes to see this.”In a statement on Tuesday, the European Commission said it had made some progress on Friday and that Beijing had committed to engaging further over other restrictions on rare earths including the magnets that control car window mechanisms and boot openings.The commission will debrief EU ambassadors on Wednesday and has asked member states to report back by Friday on the impact of the chip ban in their factories.Carmakers in the EU warned last week they were “days away” from production stoppages.
The trade tensions with the EU are in contrast to the truce struck between China and the US last Thursday.The White House said in its readout after the agreement that China would “eliminate” all “current and proposed export controls on rare earth elements and other critical materials” and end the semiconductor “retaliation”.Sign up to Business TodayGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morningafter newsletter promotionThe Dutch government invoked a cold war era law when it seized control of the chipmaker, ousting its chair, Zhang Xuezheng, in part because of fears that Wingtech could move intellectual property to another company it owned.It also came after the US raised concerns early in the summer about Nexperia’s management.Court documents show the US Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation told the Dutch foreign ministry in June: “The fact that the company’s CEO is still the same Chinese owner is problematic … It is almost certain that the CEO will have to be replaced.
”The dispute escalated last week when Nexperia told customers all supplies to its Chinese factory had been suspended.Although Nexperia’s chips are manufactured in Europe, about 70% are packaged in China before distribution.Wingtech said the actions of the Dutch government “appear to be aimed at allowing a new Dutch-owned company to take Nexperia”.It warned that “any Nexperia-successor company is doomed to fail”, adding that “80% of Nexperia’s back-end capacity is within mainland China”.A spokesperson said: “If this matter is not resolved very soon, there will be no company left for customers to return to, and hundreds of people in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK will lose their jobs with many more affected indirectly across Europe.
Nexperia’s European employees are very concerned about this, but the company’s senior Dutch management appears oblivious to these concerns,” The Dutch economic affairs ministry told Reuters that talks between the two governments were still under way,“We remain in contact with the Chinese authorities and our international partners to work toward a constructive solution that is good for Nexperia and our economies,” a spokesperson said,The dispute adds to the turmoil that UK auto manufacturers have faced after a cyber-attack forced Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s largest carmaker, to halt production in September,JLR has resumed production, supporting a small boost to UK factories in October.
Experts have estimated the attack cost the UK economy about £1.9bn, affecting as many as 5,000 organisations across the company’s supply chain.
Josh O’Connor: the shape-shifting star who became cinema’s most wanted
He came to prominence with his portrayal of Prince Charles in The Crown, and now it seems that Josh O’Connor might be primed for his own coronation.The British actor is in three major films between now and January – better known to film-lovers as awards season.He leads Kelly Reichardt’s art heist drama Mastermind, which opened in UK cinemas last week; stars opposite Paul Mescal in the period romance drama The History of Sound; and takes the central role in Wake Up Dead Man, Rian Johnson’s third instalment in the Knives Out mystery franchise.There’s also the persistent industry chatter that he’s among those being considered for the next James Bond. “This Is The Autumn Of Josh O’Connor,” declared Vogue recently, while GQ wondered, “How Josh O’Connor Became the Thinking Man’s Leading Man”
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Yorgos ‘Poor Things’ Lanthimos reunites with Emma Stone for a weird kidnapping thriller, while Kim Kardashian and Sarah Paulson get the right side of the law in Ryan Murphy’s LA storyBugoniaOut now One of the wildest directors of the 21st century, Yorgos Lanthimos returns with something that you might not expect from him: a remake. But this isn’t a standard Hollywood cash-in; it’s a black comedy that sees Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons go to some truly crazy places in a story of two conspiracy theorists who kidnap a CEO.RelayOut now Riz Ahmed plays the guy you call when a dodgy corporation and an individual with the potential to expose their corrupt practices need to talk. Basically he’s a “fixer”, who can broker payoffs for eye-watering amounts, while keeping a piece of the pie for himself – but is he about to bite off more than he can chew? The new thriller from David Mackenzie (Hell Or High Water).Palestine 36Out now The Palestinian entry for the best international film at the Oscars, this historical drama from Annemarie Jacir explores events leading up to the Arab revolt of 1936, when Palestinians tried to gain independence from British colonial rule
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Fifty years ago this very day, Queen released Bohemian Rhapsody as a single. By the time it reached record stores it was already familiar to many, having received extensive radio play by the likes of Kenny Everett (“Excuse me while I scrape myself off the ceiling,” was Everett’s reaction after its first spin). So the song climbed the charts quickly. Within a month it had gone to No 1, where it then sat for nine weeks, from the end of November to the end of January. And Bohemian Rhapsody has stayed lodged in pop music’s collective consciousness ever since
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Womad festival returns and moves to new Wiltshire site
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Late-night hosts recapped Donald Trump’s lavish visit to South Korea, where he received a ceremonial golden crown.Trump continued his tour of Asia on Wednesday, where he’s been “getting the royal treatment he so desperately craves”, according to Seth Meyers. “He wishes he could get the same treatment back here at home. He made it clear, for example, that he’s super-jealous of China’s authoritarian government.”Speaking to South Korean leaders, Trump assured them that the country’s partnership with the US guaranteed that “you’ll have everything done very, very quickly … as fast as any other country, other than China”, because China “has a good system” where Xi Jinping can “approve things immediately” whereas he had to “wait two weeks”
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