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Staff at UK Chip Firm Prefer Dutch/Chinese Owners – Times

The British government is due to make a final decision on the 63-million-pound takeover by Nexperia, a Dutch firm owned by China’s Wingnut Technology, by October 3


A worker inspects chips at the semiconductor packaging firm Unisem (M) Berhad plant in Ipoh
Analysts say Chinese companies had been "extraordinarily adept" at getting round the West's export controls via third parties, groups offshore or shell companies, which can be hard to track because they often change their names. Photo: Reuters.

 

Staff at the Newport Wafer Fab, a semiconductor firm in Wales whose takeover last year by a Chinese-backed company is being reviewed by the British government on national security grounds, have sent a “strongly worded letter” to The Times in London about the company’s future, with the 582 workers saying they “fully support Nexperia and its [Chinese] ownership of our site” because it had provided stability, improved job security, wages and working conditions, a report by The Times said.

Newport’s previous owner is among groups that have expressed interest in buying the business, but employees said in their letter “we have absolutely no desire to work under a consortium under the stewardship of Drew Nelson, the previous owner”, alleging that the company was “a mismanaged, undercapitalized startup, struggling to compete even in a buoyant market”, the report said, adding that the government is expected to make a final decision on the 63-million-pound takeover by Nexperia, a Dutch firm owned by China’s Wingnut Technology, by October 3.

See the full report: The Times.

 

ALSO SEE:

US to Ban Export of Chips, Chipmaking Tools to China

 

US Orders Nvidia to Stop Sale of Advanced Chips to China

 

Jim Pollard

Jim Pollard is an Australian journalist based in Thailand since 1999. He worked for News Ltd papers in Sydney, Perth, London and Melbourne before travelling through SE Asia in the late 90s. He was a senior editor at The Nation for 17+ years.