Russia and China pose the greatest threats to the national security of the Netherlands, according to Dutch intelligence agency.
(Bloomberg) — Russia and China pose the greatest threats to the national security of the Netherlands, according to Dutch intelligence agency.
Beijing is an important trading partner of the Netherlands, but it “poses the greatest threat to the Dutch economic security,” the General Intelligence and Security Service, known by its Dutch initials AIVD, said in its annual report published on Monday. The agency said China targets Dutch high-tech companies and institutions through “corporate takeovers, academic cooperation, as well as illegitimate (digital) espionage, insiders, covert investments and illegal exports.”
The report comes as the Netherlands announced plans to expand restrictions on semiconductor equipment under pressure from the Biden administration as the US seeks to undermine growing Chinese chip production capacity. It also follows an earlier intelligence report by the AIVD that said Russia has covertly mapped Dutch infrastructure in the North Sea and “undertakes activities that indicate espionage and preparatory actions for disruption and sabotage.”
Read: Dutch Seek Middle Ground as US-China Chip Dispute Intensifies
Earlier this year, ASML Holding NV, a critical cog in the global semiconductor industry, accused a former China-based employee of stealing confidential information. The Dutch technology company, which makes machines needed to produce high-end chips used in everything from electric vehicles to military gear, initiated an internal investigation and tightened security controls after discovering the incident, which may have violated export controls.
The intelligence agency said many Dutch companies and institutions find it difficult to make a proper risk assessment of economic and scientific cooperation with China. “The country often conceals that the Chinese government or the Chinese army may be involved in such cooperation in the background,” said the report. “The disadvantages of cooperation often only become apparent in the longer term.”
The agency said Iran and North Korea are also involved in digital attacks, in addition to Russia and China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Tuesday at a regular press briefing in Beijing that “relevant officials” should “stop hyping up the so-called China threat narrative.”
Read: Macron Gets Europe’s China Problem — and He’s Making It Worse
(Updates with comment from China’s Foreign Ministry.)
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