Security concerns are rising about the acquisition of Britain’s largest semiconductor factory by a state-owned Chinese company. A senior member of the ruling Conservative Party will introduce a new national security investment law to the UK government to abolish the sale of the Newport Wafer Lab to Wingtech Technology through its European business, Nexperia, for £ 63 million ($ 77 million). I asked.
“China’s interests are trying to dominate Britain’s largest chip maker. So far, the government hasn’t done anything serious to stop it,” he said.
He said the impact of global addiction is becoming more severe, adding: It’s about our future and the future of innovation and manufacturing in the UK. But that’s not a question our intelligence can answer. It’s not about today’s spies, but about tomorrow’s company. “
Another Tory tycoon, former Brexit Secretary David Davis, argues that the sale of the Newport Wafer Lab is a test case for the government to act for the national interest, and if it is to be sold, it should be an ally. Said that.
“Maybe such companies need to make a clear and unambiguous statement that they can sell to NATO powerhouses, but not beyond those groups,” he told email on Sunday. rice field.
Davis added: “Usually we want to be as open as possible about private ownership. In this case there is a very strong argument that it must be a British company or a NATO powerhouse. It’s really as easy as that. “
Toni Versluijs, senior executive at Nexperia, dispelled national security concerns, denied state influence and state sovereignty, and said the company was a Dutchman with “mainly European heritage.”
Nexperia’s CEO is Xuezheng Zhang, who founded Wingtech Technology, Nexperia’s current controlling shareholder, in 2006.
Zhang is heavily backed by the Chinese Communist Party, which holds a 30% stake, according to Wingtech Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Datanna, a Chinese investment review specialist.
The sale of the Newport Wafer Lab was agreed last year, but is still under consideration after concerns have been expressed about the transfer of UK semiconductor sovereignty and reliance on malicious forces.
UK semiconductor functions are currently being considered by the government, which is scrutinizing the connections of all Chinese states in important national infrastructure.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports is planning to reduce its dependence on imports, and Secretary-General Kwasi Kwaten will make a final decision on the acquisition of Newport Wafer Labs next month.
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Peter Simpson is a British journalist who worked in major international news media and spent 10 years covering China from Beijing, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics, during which he broke many exclusivity. He is interested in all aspects of Sino-English relations and geopolitics. His other interests include sports, business, culture and travel.