The Telegraph, April 4, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP
It is beggars belief that the Government is going to stand idly by whilst Nexperia, a Chinese-controlled company, attempts to take over Britain’s largest microchip factory, and it is yet another example of Whitehall’s failure to think strategically when it comes to critical industries. The loss of Newport Wafer Fab (NWF), which is one of the last serious players in the Western semiconductor market, ignores the threat that China poses to our strategic interests.
There couldn’t be a more important time to retain the technology produced by NWF. These wafers – thin pieces of silicon onto which circuit patterns are printed in order to produce chips – are vital for our automotive industry, which already faces a chip shortage. China’s strategy is to target such critical technology as part of its determination for global dominance.
According to an analysis by investment screening specialists Datenna, Wingtech Technologies, the Chinese company that owns Nexperia, is likely subject to state influence as a result of its many ownership layers. It is believed to be in receipt of Chinese government-run semiconductor investment funds. This clearly poses a strategic threat, yet the Government failed to confront it.
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