China presses Dutch minister for access to chipmaking tech blocked on security grounds

By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer

BEIJING (AP) — China’s foreign minister has pressed his Dutch counterpart for access to advanced chipmaking technology that has been blocked on security grounds and warned against allowing what he said were unfounded fears of Beijing to spoil relations. Chinese frustration with curbs imposed by the Netherlands, Washington and Japan on chip technology has added to political strains at a time when Beijing is threatening to attack Taiwan and is increasingly assertive toward other Asian neighbors. There was no indication the Netherlands changed its restriction on the supply of lithography machines available only from a single Dutch company that etch tiny circuits on next-generation processor chips. Lack of that tool is holding back Chinese efforts to develop advanced chips.