April 01, 2026

Dutch Export Controls Don’t Go Far Enough on China

By: Michelle Nie

This article was originally published in AI Policy Bulletin.

The Financial Times reported last December that Chinese chip manufacturers are upgrading old ASML lithography machines to produce 7-nanometer chips. This is a sign that China is finding workarounds to produce advanced AI chips using technology from the Dutch company. While these chips lag behind the leading edge, they remain capable of accelerating China’s AI capabilities. It’s part of a broader problem: ASML continues to sell equipment and provide servicing to Chinese entities under the current export control regime, undermining the Netherlands’ security interests.

Controlling the machines that make chips matters more than controlling any specific chip.

China is also collaborating with Russia on battlefield AI, meaning Dutch chipmaking equipment can indirectly fuel the Netherlands’ most immediate security threat. The Netherlands must act now before China advances its AI capabilities and further threatens Dutch economic and national security.

Read the full article in AI Policy Bulletin.

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