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Experts blast Dutch accusation of Chinese chip espionage as 'baseless', stress self-reliant tech progress

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jun 01, 2025 08:42 PM

Chinese experts rejected the claim made by Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans on Saturday that China was targeting the Netherlands for espionage, particularly in the semiconductor sector. They described the allegation as politically motivated and lacking factual support, experts said, emphasizing that China's progress in semiconductors and advanced manufacturing is based on independent innovation.

The Dutch military intelligence agency claimed in its annual report in April 2024 that China had shown interest in sectors such as semiconductors, aerospace, and maritime industries. Commenting on this issue, on Saturday, Brekelmans claimed that cyber activities originating from China are "intensifying," Reuters reported.

"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, according to Reuters.

Ma Jihua, a veteran telecom industry analyst, told the Global Times on Sunday that such claims are baseless. He added that the Dutch minister's comments mirror the US position, framing semiconductor technology as a political and strategic weapon against China.

Ma emphasized that China's progress in semiconductors and advanced manufacturing is driven primarily by independent innovation and ongoing global collaboration.

"Breakthroughs have come from internal momentum - China's comprehensive industrial chain, deep talent pool, and strong domestic demand," he noted. "As China advances in technological innovation out of necessity, some Western countries' baseless criticism reflects growing unease over their gradually diminishing tech advantage," Ma said.

Ma said cybersecurity is a shared global responsibility, and China has consistently worked to safeguard its own networks while opposing all forms of cyberattacks. He criticized the Dutch official's remarks as exploiting security concerns to serve commercial interests and align with efforts to suppress China's high-tech sector. "The claim lacks both evidence and logic," Ma said.

Xiang Ligang, a Chinese telecommunications expert, told the Global Times on Sunday that lithography technologies are among the most heavily protected industrial secrets and cannot be obtained through simple cyber intrusions or piecemeal information. "Assuming that core breakthroughs can be achieved through hacking shows a lack of understanding of the technology," he said.

China's progress in lithography has come through continuous independent innovation, and growing Western suspicions reflect anxiety over China's accelerating technological rise, he said.

On February 7, 2024, in response to a report from the Netherlands that claimed that Chinese hackers launched cyberattacks on one of the networks of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, a spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands said China always firmly opposes and cracks down on cyberattacks in all forms in accordance with the law. We will not allow any country or individual using Chinese infrastructure to engage in such illegal activities.

Cyber security is a common challenge of all countries. China opposes any malicious speculations and groundless accusations. We uphold jointly safeguarding cyber security through dialogue and cooperation, the spokesperson said.