No force can stop our technological progress

Chinese President Xi Jinping assured Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Wednesday that Chinese technological progress cannot be stopped, during a meeting they held in Beijing to discuss issues including the semiconductor sector, which is extremely important.

ASML, a Dutch company that supplies chip manufacturing machines, is one of the world’s leading companies in manufacturing the equipment needed to manufacture the latest semiconductors used in everything from mobile phones to cars.

The sector has become a major battleground in recent years, with the United States and some European countries blocking exports of high-tech chip technology to China over fears of military use.

ASML announced this year that it was banned from exporting a “small number” of its advanced devices to China, amid reports of American pressure on the Dutch government.

The Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying, “The Chinese people also have legitimate development rights, and no force can stop the pace of Chinese scientific and technological progress.”

He added, “China will continue to follow a win-win approach and open more to the outside world at a high level.”

The report quoted him as saying that “openness and cooperation are the only option.”

For his part, Rutte said during a press conference that he could not reveal the details of what was discussed regarding semiconductors.

“What I can tell you about the semiconductor sector and our companies like ASML is that when we have to take action, it never specifically targets one country,” he explained.

He said, “We always try to ensure that the impact is limited and does not affect supply chains and therefore does not affect, for example, the overall economic relationship.” (Arabic)