China–Netherlands
Trade Reset, Sanctions on Dutch Minister Lifted
Source says Beijing has quietly dropped an
old sanctioning of Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, who recently spoke of wanting to lead a Dutch
trade mission to China
1.
China has quietly
lifted sanctions on Dutch trade minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma,
clearing the way for his planned visit to Beijing.
2.
The visit, expected before
summer 2026, would be the first high-level Dutch ministerial visit
since the new government took office in February.
3.
Sjoerdsma was earlier sanctioned in 2021 for criticism of
China’s policies in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
4.
The visit reflects a pragmatic
thaw in bilateral relations, despite recent geopolitical and
trade frictions.
5.
A key area of tension remains the Dutch semiconductor firm Nexperia, owned by China’s Wingtech,
currently under governance scrutiny in the Netherlands.
6.
Both sides agree that the Nexperia dispute should be resolved at the
corporate level, without direct government intervention.
7.
Another major issue is export restrictions on advanced
chipmaking equipment by ASML, a critical supplier to China’s semiconductor
industry.
8.
The relationship is further complicated by potential US-led
measures like the Multilateral
Alignment of Technology Controls in Hardware (MATCH) Act, which
could tighten export controls on semiconductor tools to China.
9.
Despite improving trade engagement, security concerns
persist—Dutch intelligence agency MIVD has warned about:
o Chinese cyber
activities targeting Dutch institutions
o Increased China–Russia
military cooperation
10.
China has rejected
these allegations, urging the Netherlands to adopt a more
“objective” approach and strengthen mutual trust.
Overall Insight:
The developments indicate a carefully
managed reset in China–Netherlands ties, balancing economic
interdependence (especially in semiconductors) with ongoing strategic and
security concerns.
China
has cleared the way for a landmark visit by the Dutch trade minister – signalled
by Beijing’s quiet removal of long-held sanctions on the official – at a time when
their bilateral relations need some attention, according to people familiar with
the matter.
Beijing
has agreed to host Sjoerd Sjoerdsma for a visit and has removed him from the sanction
list, a source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity
of the issue.
“No
date is fixed yet [between Beijing and The Hague] … only that it is supposed to
take place before the summer,” the source said, adding that Sjoerdsma was currently
in talks with various industry groups over his planned visit.
If
the trip pans out, Sjoerdsma would become the first minister from the new Dutch
government, sworn in on February 23, to visit China.
He
first expressed his intention to lead a trade mission to Beijing last month during
his meeting with China’s commerce minister, Wang Wentao, on the sidelines of a World
Trade Organization summit in Cameroon.
Sjoerdsma
was sanctioned by Beijing in 2021 for his criticism of alleged human rights abuses
in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which Beijing has long denied. Chinese
authorities have previously declined to comment when asked if Sjoerdsma was still
on the sanction list.
China’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a faxed request for comment on Monday.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
The
visit looks to come as the two countries navigate a fraught relationship over control
of semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia and export restrictions
targeting ASML’s chipmaking tools.
Both
Beijing and The Hague have agreed that the ongoing Nexperia
saga should be “solved between the two companies without government interference”,
the new Dutch government’s economic minister, Heleen Herbert, told Dutch media on
April 17 after meeting with China’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Shen Bo, the
day before.
This
is in line with Beijing’s prior position that the Nexperia
dispute should be resolved at the corporate level.
Herbert
characterised current bilateral relations as being in “calmer water”.
Frans-Paul
van der Putten, founder of Dutch consultancy ChinaGeopolitics,
said it appeared Beijing and The Hague were adopting a pragmatic approach to prioritise
trade ties, despite the Nexperia saga.
“For
both the Chinese and the Dutch governments, it was not favourable to politicise
the [Nexperia] issue,” van der Putten said. The Chinese
side likely understands that, with the Dutch Enterprise Chamber in charge, there
is little the Dutch government can do for now, he said.
A
court-ordered investigation into Nexperia’s governance,
launched by the Dutch court in February, could last up to six months.
Executives
from Wingtech, the Chinese owner of Nexperia, held a first meeting with the new Dutch government
shortly after members were sworn in, but no breakthroughs were made, sources told
the South China Morning Post.
The
stakes may be too high for the two countries to pause trade discussions: Dutch firm
ASML is a crucial supplier for China’s semiconductor industry, and both countries
are bracing for a new round of proposed US restrictions, according to van der Putten.
Introduced
to US lawmakers this month, the Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls in
Hardware (Match) Act aims to close “critical gaps” in existing restrictions by requiring
allied countries to match US curbs on semiconductor equipment exports to China within
150 days. This could cover advanced chipmaking tools such as the Dutch manufacturer’s
deep-ultraviolet (DUV) immersion lithography machines.
The
warming ties, however, sit uneasily alongside growing Dutch concerns about Chinese
cybersecurity threats – concerns sharpened by Beijing’s deepening military ties
with Moscow.
Days
after ambassador Shen’s meeting with Herbert, Dutch military intelligence agency
MIVD published its annual report for 2025, accusing China of stepping up military
cooperation with Russia and of actively targeting Dutch researchers, businesses
and universities for advanced technologies in semiconductors, quantum computing
and aerospace. The report warned that Chinese cyber capabilities rivalled those
of the United States, and that only a fraction of Chinese operations against Dutch
interests were ever detected or neutralised.
The
Chinese embassy in The Hague fired back, expressing “strong objection” to the report’s
findings and calling on Dutch authorities to view China’s development “objectively
and rationally”, to stop spreading what it called false information, and to do more
to build mutual trust between the two sides.