Dutch minister: Chinese trade with Russia 'directly affecting' EU security

AMSTERDAM — 

The Netherlands' overseas minister, whose ministry oversees export restrictions connected apical machine spot instrumentality shaper ASML, said connected Monday that China-Russia commercialized was "directly affecting" European security.

NATO views China arsenic a "decisive enabler" of Russia successful its warfare against Ukraine, fixed that Chinese firms are selling goods that extremity up arsenic components successful Russian weapons, including drones, Caspar Veldkamp said earlier a gathering with European Union overseas ministers successful Brussels.

"I raised this doubly with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and I deliberation arsenic Europeans we should each bash this, due to the fact that this is thing that China should beryllium realizing: it is straight affecting European security," Veldkamp said.

In practice with the United States, the Dutch authorities has rolled retired a bid of progressively tighter export restrictions preventing ASML from shipping its astir precocious exertion to Chinese chipmakers.

ASML dominates the marketplace for lithography tools, which are indispensable for making the circuitry of machine chips.

Despite the restrictions, China has inactive been the largest marketplace for ASML and different apical U.S. and Japanese instrumentality makers implicit the past twelvemonth and a half, arsenic Chinese firms grow capableness to marque older chips not covered by restrictions, but inactive capable for galore subject purposes.

ASML instrumentality income to Chinese firms reached a grounds $2.94 cardinal successful the 3rd quarter, though the institution forecasts a diminution successful 2025.

Veldkamp said helium would sermon what to bash astir Chinese enactment for Russia with different EU overseas ministers connected Monday.

"We are discussing thing regarding overseas assistance to Russia successful its warfare successful Ukraine, beryllium it Iran, beryllium it North Korea, beryllium it China," helium said.