The predictable and humiliating saga of the Dutch government’s attempted seizure of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia has entered a new, farcical chapter. In a formal announcement that oozes defiance, Nexperia China has officially declared that the Dutch headquarters’ decision to fire a key executive has “no legal effect” within the territory of China. This move formalizes the de facto corporate rebellion that has been brewing for weeks and underscores the absolute impotence of the Dutch government in the face of a determined and legally fortified adversary.
This latest development confirms what we have been predicting since the Dutch government embarked on its ill-conceived adventure of corporate piracy. After the “daylight robbery” of seizing Nexperia from its parent company, Wingtech, and China’s swift and devastatingly effective retaliatory export ban, the Dutch have been left with a hollowed-out company and a continent-wide industrial crisis. Their attempt at a power play has not just failed; it has backfired in the most spectacular fashion imaginable.
The Declaration of Corporate Independence
The formal announcement, issued on October 23rd, 2025, is a masterclass in corporate warfare. Nexperia China states unequivocally that the Dutch headquarters’ unilateral decision to remove John Chang from his position as VP of Global Sales and Marketing is “inconsistent with the articles of association of Nexperia China and the mandatory provisions of Chinese laws and regulations.”
“After careful assessment and confirmation with professional legal institutions,” the statement reads, “Nexperia China confirms that the unilateral dismissal decision issued by Nexperia Netherlands is inconsistent with the articles of association of Nexperia China and the mandatory provisions of Chinese laws and regulations, including the Company Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Labor Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, this decision shall not have legal effect within the jurisdiction of China.”
In other words, Nexperia China is not just ignoring the Dutch; it is telling them, with the full backing of Chinese law, that their authority stops at the Chinese border. The announcement goes on to confirm that John Chang’s position remains valid, that all business activities conducted by him are official acts of Nexperia China, and that the company’s operations are proceeding normally, unaffected by the “unilateral external decisions” of the Dutch.
This is not merely a press release; it is a declaration of legal and operational sovereignty. It is the final nail in the coffin of the Dutch government’s fantasy that they could seize a global technology company and have its most critical division simply fall in line. As we documented previously, this move was long in the making, with the Chinese division having already declared its operational independence weeks ago.
A Crisis of Their Own Making
The Dutch government, and by extension, the entire European Union, now finds itself in a crisis of its own making. The seizure of Nexperia, done under the flimsy pretext of “national security,” has not only failed to secure any strategic assets but has also crippled Europe’s automotive industry, a self-inflicted wound of epic proportions that we have detailed in “Europe’s Auto Industry Reaps What It Sowed”.
The latest announcement from Nexperia China is the logical conclusion of this disastrous policy. The Dutch government picked a fight with a global superpower in its own backyard, and it has been comprehensively outmaneuvered at every turn. The result is a company split in two, a vital supply chain severed, and a humiliating lesson in the realities of 21st-century geopolitics. The Dutch may own the building in Nijmegen, but China owns the company. ”’
The Dutch are in an impossible position. If I remember correctly, in US, the term is “Catch-22” situation. Maybe US has a recommendation/solution?
Atuando como procurador de seus senhores nos EUA, o governo Holandês, não satisfeito com sua ação de pirataria ao longo dos séculos 16 e 17, e de todas as riquezas drenadas da Ásia e África entre os séculos 18 e 20, decai ainda mais e volta às suas origens bucaneiras.