Inside the Nexperia crisis: what it means for Europe’s tech sovereignty
A story of semiconductors, geopolitics and Europe’s struggle to define its economic security in a world of rising US-China tensions
- Publishing date
- 03 December 2025
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Alicia García-Herrero and Marc Hijink to examine the Nexperia case – the Dutch semiconductor firm owned by China’s Wingtech – and how it became a flashpoint in Europe’s evolving relationship with China. We unpack how corporate governance disputes, US export controls, Chinese industrial policy and Europe’s growing focus on tech sovereignty collided in a single, high-stakes conflict.
This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics.
ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe.
- Theme
- Global economy and trade
- Keyword
- geopolitics digital economy
- Country
- China
- Series
- ZhōngHuá Mundus
- Language
- English
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