A NOS Nieuwsuur report has called into question the Dutch government’s approach to high-tech export controls to China. The news outlet writes that ASML didn’t require export licenses to sell certain products to two Chinese organizations involved with military technology development, despite warnings from the Dutch government about Dutch technology being used for military applications.
Last year, ASML reportedly sold an unidentified component to a Chinese military research institute and a DUV scanner to a quantum technology center that researches quantum sensing, a technology flagged by Dutch intelligence agencies. While these items aren’t subject to export controls, experts consulted by Nieuwsuur argue that they should be.
Although it won’t comment on individual cases, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that “not all high-tech goods are sensitive or subject to export controls.” ASML stated that “national security is the responsibility of governments.”
