reuters.com
www.reuters.com

Chinese efforts to spy on the Dutch are intensifying, with the focus on semiconductors, Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on Saturday.

“The semiconductor industry, which we are technologically leading, or technology advanced, of course, to get that intellectual property - that’s interesting to China,” Brekelmans said in an interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore.

The Dutch military intelligence agency said in its annual report in April last year that Chinese spies have targeted the Dutch semiconductor, aerospace and maritime industries to try to strengthen China’s armed forces.

When asked if the spying had stopped, Brekelmans said: “It’s continuing. In our newest intelligence reports, our intelligence agency said that the biggest cyber threat is coming from China, and that we do see most cyber activity when it comes to us being as from China. That was the case last year, but that’s still the case. So we only see this intensifying.”

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    81·
    4 days ago

    I bet they’re after extreme ultraviolet lithography, which is a strategically-important-in-the-US-China-rivalry technology that the Dutch commercialized.

    reads article

    It doesn’t say explicitly, but it does say that it’s the “semiconductor industry”.

    “The semiconductor industry, which we are technologically leading, or technology advanced, of course, to get that intellectual property - that’s interesting to China,” Brekelmans said in an interview on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore.

    Last week:

    https://www.reuters.com/world/china/euv-lithography-restrictions-china-must-continue-trump-aide-says-2025-05-23/

    EUV lithography restrictions on China must continue, Trump aide says

    May 23 (Reuters) - Restricting the sale of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment to China is the “single most important export control” the United States has in the area of semiconductors, the White House’s AI and crypto czar David Sacks said on Friday.

    “The first Trump administration began the restriction, and it’s of paramount importance that it continues,” Sacks wrote on X.

    Dutch company ASML (ASML.AS) makes EUV chipmaking machines, which produce the most sophisticated semiconductors.

    Two months ago:

    https://www.reuters.com/world/china-hopes-netherlands-will-ensure-normal-lithography-machine-trade-2024-03-28/

    China hopes Netherlands will ensure ‘normal’ lithography machine trade

    BEIJING, March 28 (Reuters) - China hopes the Netherlands would support companies in fulfilling their contractual obligations and ensure “normal” trade of lithography machines, said Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

    Last month:

    https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/china-developed-euv-lithography-could-trial-in-2025/

    Chinese electronics giant Huawei is testing elements for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine at its Dongguan facility, according to two sources posting photographs on X social media.

    The sources say the equipment is scheduled for trial production of circuits in 2Q25 with full-scale manufacturing in 2026, without attributing the information to any sources of their own. They add that the equipment is based on a laser discharge induced plasma (LDP) to produce light of 13.5nm wavelength.

    The credibility of the timetable therefore remains uncertain although China is highly motivated to try and develop EUV lithography.

    China has been denied access to the EUV lithography equipment from the monopoly commercial supplier, ASML Holding NV, for several years.