Increasing concerns over espionage activities surrounding the Netherlands’ semiconductor sector have been voiced by Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, he emphasized that China is intensifying its efforts to acquire sensitive intellectual property related to this vital industry.
“The semiconductor industry, which we are technologically leading, … to get that intellectual property — that’s interesting to China,” Brekelmans remarked during a discussion with reporters on Saturday.
Ongoing threats from Chinese espionage
According to previous warnings issued by Dutch intelligence, the focus of Chinese espionage extends beyond semiconductors to encompass the aerospace and maritime sectors as well. When asked to elaborate on the current threat landscape, Brekelmans affirmed, “It’s continuing. In our newest intelligence reports, our intelligence agency said that the biggest cyber threat is coming from China.”
He elaborated that this concern is not new; rather, it has been a consistent issue. “That was the case last year, but that’s still the case. So we only see this intensifying,” he stated, highlighting the urgent need for vigilance and action.
Concerns over reliance on China
In addition to the cybersecurity threats, Brekelmans also raised alarms about Europe’s growing dependence on China for essential raw materials. He remarked that China is leveraging its economic strengths for geopolitical leverage. “Using their economic position for geopolitical purposes and also to pressure us,” he noted, underscoring the strategic implications of such dependence.
Brekelmans called for decisive action at both the European Union and national levels to mitigate these dependencies. He stated, “We need to make bigger steps in order to reduce those dependencies.” His remarks echo sentiments recently expressed by Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch at the EU Competitiveness Council, who warned that, “The dependency on Russian gas will seem like a warm, sunny day compared to the dependencies on the raw material sector.”