Former ASML CEO says US-China chip fight will continue
semiconductor equipment maker ASML said in an interview with Dutch radio station BNR on Saturday that US-China disputes over computer chips are ideological and not based on facts, and they are set to continue.
Wennink left in April after a ten year term at the helm of ASML that saw it become Europe's largest technology firm. Since 2018, the US has imposed increasing restrictions on what tools the company can export to China, its second-largest market after Taiwan, citing security concerns. Most recently the US has sought to keep the company from servicing equipment already sold to Chinese customers.
Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill Courses
Offering CollegeCourseWebsiteIndian School of BusinessProfessional Certificate in Product ManagementVisitIIT DelhiCertificate Programme in Data Science & Machine LearningVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Product ManagementVisit «These kind of discussions are not being conducted on the basis of facts or content or numbers or data but on the basis of ideology,» Wennink said.
«You can think whatever you want about that, but we're a business where the interests of your stakeholders have to be managed in balance… If ideology cuts straight through that, I have problems with that.»
He said the company has had customers and staff in China for 30 years «so you also have obligations».
As part of seeking to strike a balance, Wennink said he had lobbied where possible to prevent export restrictions from becoming too tight, and at the same time he had complained to
