Chinese owner of Nexperia demands $8 billion from Netherlands over government takeover
Wingtech, the Chinese parent of the Nijmegen chipmaker Nexperia, said it will commence international arbitration proceedings against the Netherlands under the Netherlands-China investment treaty, seeking more than 8 billion dollars in damages for the Dutch government’s intervention last year. The company made the announcement following reporting by Het Financieele Dagblad.
In late September 2025, Caretaker Economic Affairs Minister Vincent Karremans invoked the Goods Availability Act and took the rare step of ousting Chinese CEO Zhang Xuezheng from Nexperia. The government acted after three European executives at the company asked for help, fearing Zhang was preparing to move key technology and expertise out of the Netherlands and Europe.
Following an emergency hearing, the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal on Oct. 7 suspended CEO Zhang Xuezheng, citing reckless leadership.
The court ruled that Zhang had failed to prepare the company for impending U.S. Entity List sanctions even though Nexperia had known for months they would take effect at the end of November. On the same day, the chamber temporarily replaced him with a non-Chinese executive and transferred the shares to an independent party.
The intervention triggered a diplomatic dispute between the Netherlands and China. China responded by imposing an export ban on Nexperia’s Chinese operations starting Oct. 4, blocking the export of certain finished components and semi-finished products from its major Dongguan factory, which can produce more than 50 billion chips annually.
Since then, Nexperia’s European and Chinese operations have functioned as separate entities. Nexperia said it is actively engaging with Chinese authorities to have the restrictions lifted.
Wingtech warns that the situation could lead to Nexperia losing its listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Without access to IT systems containing the company’s financial data, auditors cannot issue a standard audit opinion on the annual accounts—a requirement for listed companies.
In a separate development, Nexperia purchased a 6.7 million euro country estate called “De Zonneroos” in Loenen aan de Vecht in early June 2025. The property includes a luxury farmhouse, outbuildings, a swimming pool, and a 3.4-hectare private park. According to the former owner and RTL Z, the estate was allegedly intended as a residence for Zhang Xuezheng. Neighbors reported seeing a large birthday party with black limousines shortly after the purchase but have seen little of Zhang since.
