Chinese leader Xi tells Dutch PM that restricting technology access won't stop China's advance

Mar 27, 2024

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte that attempts to restrict China’s access to technology will not stop the country’s advance

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping told visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Wednesday that attempts to restrict China's access to technology will not stop the country's advance.

The Netherlands

imposed export licensing requirements

in 2023 on the sale of machinery that can make advanced processor chips. The move came after the United States

blocked Chinese access

to advanced chips and the equipment to make them, citing security concerns, and urged its allies to follow suit.

An online report from state broadcaster CCTV did not mention the chip machinery, but quoted Xi as saying that the creation of scientific and technological barriers and the fragmentation of the industrial and supply chains will lead to division and confrontation.

"The Chinese people also have the right to legitimate development, and no force can stop the pace of China’s scientific and technological development and progress,” Xi said, according to CCTV.

Rutte and Trade Minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen were also expected to discuss the wars in Ukraine and Gaza during meetings with Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, a Dutch government release said ahead of their trip.

China has taken a

neutral position on the Ukraine war

, providing Russia with diplomatic cover and economic support through trade. That stance has angered and frustrated much of Europe, which sees Russia as the aggressor and Ukraine as the victim.

"I’m going to try to convey how important it is for the Netherlands, for our security, that Russia does not win this, that Russia loses, and that we also ask a good friend like China to understand that,” Rutte said in a video message recorded on a street in a historic tourist district in Beijing.

In the video, posted on X, he also said that he would bring up intellectual property rights, subsidies and human rights.

Dutch company ASML is the world’s only producer of machines that use extreme ultraviolet lithography to make advanced semiconductors. In 2023, China became ASML’s second-largest market, accounting for 29% of its revenue as Chinese companies bought up equipment before the licensing requirement took effect.

Beijing has repeatedly accused the U.S. of trying to hold back China's economic development by restricting access to technology. In response, Xi has launched a campaign to develop home-grown chips and other high-tech products.

“China always opposes the U.S. overstretching the concept of national security and making various excuses to coerce other countries into imposing a technological blockade against China,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in January.

ASML, the Netherlands’ largest company, recently threatened to leave the country over anti-immigration policies that may impact the company’s ability to hire talent, leaving government officials scrambling to ensure that the firm does not leave.

Van Leeuwen said this week in an interview with The FD, a Dutch business newspaper, that protecting the interests of ASML is a top priority but acknowledged that national security comes before economic interests.

NATO and its

growing ties with Asia

also may come up at Wednesday’s talks. Rutte is a leading candidate to be the next head of NATO, an organization that China has criticized for provoking regional tensions and making forays into the Asia-Pacific region.

___

Soo reported from Hong Kong. AP writer Michael Corder in The Hague, Netherlands contributed.

MORE NEWS

China’s battery factories could be sitting right on top of vast lithium deposits
Oct 28, 2026
China’s battery factories could be sitting right on top of vast lithium deposits

Lithium deposits formed by ancient volcanic activity may lie beneath parts of China’s battery manufacturing heartland, particularly along the southeastern coast, according to a new study. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, geologist Duan Zheng said that “potential targets for clay-type lithium deposits in southeastern China overlap with lithium battery industrial clusters in East and South China”. “Local supplies could significantly reduce transport costs and supply-chain risks,”...

For its autocratic African ally, Taiwan bites its tongue and opens its wallet
Oct 27, 2026
For its autocratic African ally, Taiwan bites its tongue and opens its wallet

Eswatini probably does not register on most people’s mental maps. Its relatively recent name might sound unfamiliar as many people still know it as Swaziland. That it demands attention from pundits like yours truly has much to do with it being the only African country that still formally recognises Taiwan. It is also the continent’s only absolute monarchy. The two facts are closely connected. Recognising Taipei makes little sense when every one of eSwatini’s neighbours recognises Beijing, but it...

Alibaba wins preliminary injunction against Pentagon lobbying rule
Oct 27, 2026
Alibaba wins preliminary injunction against Pentagon lobbying rule

Alibaba has won a preliminary court order blocking a US restriction that drove away its Washington lobbyists, after a federal judge found the Chinese technology giant was likely to succeed in challenging the measure on free-speech grounds. US District Judge Eumi K. Lee ruled on Monday that the government had failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify the restriction, which effectively forces lobbying firms to choose between representing Alibaba and clients seeking Pentagon...

5 things to watch out for in 2027 US defence bill aimed at countering China
Oct 27, 2026
5 things to watch out for in 2027 US defence bill aimed at countering China

The 2027 US defence bill, covering more than US$1 trillion in proposed defence spending, will be one of the most closely watched pieces of legislation when Congress returns after the midterm elections, with efforts to counter China running through nearly every corner of the text. The US House of Representatives passed its version of the bill, known as the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), in July. The bill faces a tougher path in the US Senate, where a July procedural vote to begin...

Dinosaur's rare skeleton is one of the world's most expensive fossils, fetches over USD 47 million against expected estimate worth around USD 9 million
Oct 27, 2026
Dinosaur's rare skeleton is one of the world's most expensive fossils, fetches over USD 47 million against expected estimate worth around USD 9 million

Nanotyrannus was about half the length of an adult T. rex, and the two creatures coexisted during the Cretaceous period some 67 million years ago.

Eric Swalwell controversy: Who is Stephen Cloobeck? Why has FBI raided billionaire donor's Beverly Hills mansion?
Oct 27, 2026
Eric Swalwell controversy: Who is Stephen Cloobeck? Why has FBI raided billionaire donor's Beverly Hills mansion?

Stephen Cloobeck, who founded the Diamond Resorts International timeshare company and ran last year for California governor, contributed more than $23,000 to Swalwell’s congressional campaigns since 2017, federal campaign finance records show.

TVS Motor’s Venu Srinivasan and daughter Lakshmi file caveats against each other over inheritance
Oct 27, 2026
TVS Motor’s Venu Srinivasan and daughter Lakshmi file caveats against each other over inheritance

Venu Srinivasan and his daughter Lakshmi Venu have initiated caveats against each other regarding family business matters. The filings occurred in Chennai’s civil and commercial courts earlier this month. While Venu and his son Sudarshan claim a previous agreement exists, Lakshmi is advocating for a fair settlement. Mallika and Lakshmi have expressed their intention for an amicable resolution through discussions.

We are aware of everything, will decide: Supreme Court on Chief Election Commissioner row
Oct 27, 2026
We are aware of everything, will decide: Supreme Court on Chief Election Commissioner row

The Supreme Court has issued a notice regarding a plea from Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen. The plea challenges the changes made to Form 6 by the Election Commission of India. During the hearing, senior advocates presented arguments on the perceived tampering of electoral roll forms. The Election Commission defended its actions, asserting that decisions were made unanimously.

Delhi may raise agricultural land circle rates to ₹5 crore per acre
Oct 27, 2026
Delhi may raise agricultural land circle rates to ₹5 crore per acre

The proposed changes seek to bridge the gap between official land valuations and market prices across Delhi’s districts and localities

Nations get moving on Paris Climate Accord, but the pace is slow: UNFCCC
Oct 27, 2026
Nations get moving on Paris Climate Accord, but the pace is slow: UNFCCC

The reports assess the progress countries have made towards tackling climate change and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries are investing in the clean energy transition, adapting to the impacts of climate change and building resilience, and there are international financial flows to climate action, the reports said.

Daily World Feed

Get yourself immersed in engaging topics right here. Daily World Feed is a multi-platform media, providing you latest breaking news straight from the industry.

Sign Up