Radio France Internationale (RFI) Chinese Edition recently reported that Nexperia (headquartered in the Netherlands), owned by Chinese company Wingtech, is in the process of acquiring Britain’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, Newport Wafer Fab (NWF). The move raised doubts about British national security. UK Prime Minister Johnson stated in the British Parliament last Wednesday that his national security adviser will look into the acquisition. The analysts expressed the belief that this obviously represents a reversal of the British government’s policy on this case. At the moment when the UK-China relationship is strained and the global chip shortage intensifies, the overseas investment situation of Chinese companies is increasingly under scrutiny. This acquisition case is particularly concerning. It is worth noting that, only one day before the Prime Minister made the comments in Parliament, his spokesperson told reporters that the government thought, “It would be inappropriate to intervene at this moment.” The Chinese government holds around a 30 percent stake in Wingtech.
Source: RFI Chinese, July 7, 2021
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