Dutch Court Stops Nexperia Return to Chinese Owner

A Dutch appeals court denied attempts by the Chinese company Wingtech to take back control of Nexperia. The court ordered a formal probe into the chipmaker and upheld a suspension of its chief executive.

Nexperia explained that the Dutch Enterprise Chamber ruled there are valid reasons to doubt proper management at Nexperia under the company’s previous governance, pointing to certain actions taken by owner Wingtech in 2025. It added that it would fully comply with a court-ordered investigation expected to last several months.

During the investigation, measures taken in October 2025, including the suspension of Nexperia CEO and founder Zhang Xuezheng, along with the transfer of shareholder voting rights to a Dutch-court-appointed administrator, will remain in place. “As we look ahead and as confirmed by today’s Enterprise Chamber Ruling, the current situation now primarily asks for Nexperia to further stabilise its supply chain and ensure meeting customer demand worldwide,” the company added.

In its own statement, Wingtech expressed regret over the court decision, but added it would continue to pursue the restoration of its full shareholder rights through all available legal means. It added that it had not been presented with any evidence justifying the extraordinary measures imposed.

The Dutch government stepped in to take control of Nexperia in 2025, highlighting fears around European technology security and governance shortcomings. The move allowed the government to block or reverse management decisions deemed harmful to the company’s interests or to European technological sovereignty. Production has continued as normal throughout the crisis.