Nexperia has reassured employees in China that they remain on the company’s payroll and still have access to internal platforms, dismissing circulating claims that the Dutch chipmaker and the Dutch government had abandoned the Chinese market.
The company told Reuters that suggestions salaries were not being paid were “factually incorrect and misleading,” after posts emerged on Saturday from its China unit insisting on its right to operate independently.
The statement from Nexperia China, shared via WeChat, said staff should follow only the directives of its Chinese management and reject “external instructions” not approved by its local legal representative. It added that salaries and bonuses would continue to be paid by the Chinese unit.
The remarks came amid tensions triggered by export controls and just days after the Dutch government took control of Nexperia on September 30 and removed its Chinese CEO, Zhang Xuezheng, citing concerns over potential technology transfer to its Chinese parent, Wingtech.
Nexperia said the ongoing dispute stemmed from “unauthorised actions” by Zhang, who it said has been suspended by a court and no longer has the authority to act for the company. Meanwhile, China’s commerce ministry has blocked Nexperia from exporting chips from China, escalating the standoff between the two countries as U.S.–China trade frictions continue to ripple through global supply chains.
The deepening dispute has raised fears of possible chip shortages in the automotive and electronics sectors, as Nexperia’s components, though relatively low-tech, are produced in high volumes and heavily used by manufacturers. With more than 70% of its chips sent to China for packaging, carmakers including Volkswagen and BMW said they are assessing potential supply risks, though production in Europe remains unaffected for now.