President Joe Biden is set to host Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for talks as the US administration seeks to persuade the Netherlands to further limit China’s access to advanced semiconductors with export restrictions. Tuesday’s wide-ranging talks are also expected to cover the countries’ efforts to derail Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and an upcoming democracy summit, according to the White House. The Biden administration tried to get the Netherlands involved around the same time the US Commerce Department announced new export control measures targeting China in October. The restrictions are aimed at limiting China’s access to advanced computing chips, developing and maintaining supercomputers, and manufacturing advanced semiconductors. Administration officials argue that the export restrictions are necessary because China can use semiconductors to build advanced military systems, including weapons of mass destruction; commit human rights violations; and improve the speed and accuracy of military decision-making, planning, and logistics. Slowing Beijing’s access, however, will require significant help from allies if U.S. export controls are to have maximum effect. Dutch technology giant ASML is a major manufacturer of machines that design and manufacture semiconductors. China is one of ASML’s biggest customers. The US is also in talks with Japan to tighten export restrictions to limit the sale of semiconductor technology to China. Rutte’s visit comes after Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for talks last week. The US and Japan said in a joint statement after the Oval Office meeting that the two sides agreed to “sharpen our shared advantage in economic security, including the protection and promotion of critical and emerging technologies.” Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urged Japan and the Netherlands resist U.S. pressure. “We hope that the countries concerned will do the right thing and work together to maintain the multilateral trade regime and protect global industrial and supply stability,” he said. “This will also serve to protect their own long-term interests.” Rutte wrote on Twitter on Monday that he had spoken by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about Saturday’s Russian missile strike on a residential building in the Dnieper, one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in the nearly 11-month war. Authorities said the death toll from the strike rose to 40 and that 30 people remained missing on Monday. from a residential house in the Dnieper underlines why Russia cannot be allowed to win this war,” Rutte said in the message. “Coordination of international military support remains critical in the coming months.” Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby praised the Netherlands as a “key supporter of security assistance to Ukraine.” The Netherlands has already contributed about $3 billion to support Ukraine and has promised to spend another $1 billion. Kirby said the two leaders also plan to discuss the pro-democracy summit they are co-hosting with Costa Rica, South Korea and Zambia in late March. In December 2021, Biden hosted the inaugural Summit on Democracy, which the administration called the start of a global conversation about how best to stop the rollback from democracy.
President Joe Biden is set to host Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for talks as the US administration seeks to persuade the Netherlands to further restrict China’s access to advanced semiconductors with export restrictions.
Tuesday’s wide-ranging talks are also expected to cover countries’ efforts to thwart Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an upcoming democracy summit, the White House said.
The Biden administration has been trying to get the Netherlands on the same page since the US Commerce Department announced new controls on exports to China in October. The restrictions aim to limit China’s ability to access advanced computing chips, develop and maintain supercomputers, and manufacture advanced semiconductors.
Administration officials have argued that the export restrictions are necessary because China can use semiconductors to build advanced military systems, including weapons of mass destruction; commit human rights violations; and improve the speed and accuracy of military decision-making, planning, and logistics.
Slowing Beijing’s access, however, will require significant help from allies if U.S. export controls are to have maximum effect. Dutch technology giant ASML is a major manufacturer of machines that design and manufacture semiconductors. China is one of ASML’s biggest customers.
The US is also in talks with Japan to tighten export restrictions to limit the sale of semiconductor manufacturing technology to China. Rutte’s visit comes after Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for talks last week.
The US and Japan said in a joint statement following the Oval Office meeting that the two sides agreed to “sharpen our shared economic security advantage, including the protection and advancement of critical and emerging technologies.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin last week urged Japan and the Netherlands to resist US pressure.
“We hope that the countries concerned will do the right thing and work together to support the multilateral trade regime and ensure the stability of global industrial and supply chains,” he said. “It will also serve to protect their own long-term interests.”
On Monday, Rutte said on Twitter that he spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about Saturday’s Russian missile strike on a residential building in the Dnieper, one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in the nearly 11-month war. Authorities said the death toll from the strike had risen to 40 and that 30 people were still missing on Monday.
“The horrific attack on a residential building in Dnieper underscores why Russia cannot be allowed to win this war,” Rutte said in a statement. “Coordination of international military support remains critical in the coming months.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby praised the Netherlands as a “key supporter of security assistance to Ukraine.” The Netherlands has already contributed about $3 billion to support Ukraine and has pledged to spend another $1 billion.
Kirby said the two leaders also plan to discuss the pro-democracy summit they are co-hosting with Costa Rica, South Korea and Zambia in late March.
In December 2021, Biden hosted the inaugural Democracy Summit, which the administration called the start of a global conversation about how best to stop the rollback from democracy.
President Biden will host the Prime Minister of the Netherlands for talks on technology and Ukraine
Source link President Biden will host the Prime Minister of the Netherlands for talks on technology and Ukraine