Last Update: April 20, 2023, 00:24 IST
In March, under pressure from Washington, The Hague announced plans for new export restrictions on technology to make computer chips to limit Chinese access to the technology. (Image: shutterstock)
Swillens, who was delivering an annual report, said his service detected and prevented “various Chinese attempts to acquire (military) technology” over the past year.
Dutch military intelligence warned on Wednesday that China has tried to circumvent export restrictions and has attempted to obtain equipment and information from the Netherlands’ aerospace sector.
Jan Swillens, head of the MIVD military spy agency, said, “The Netherlands remains an attractive espionage target for China … especially in the fields of the semiconductor industry, quantum technology and the aerospace and maritime industry.”
Swillens, who was delivering an annual report, said his service “detected and prevented various Chinese attempts to acquire (military) technology” over the past year.
“Dutch firms, knowledge institutions and scientists are being targeted extensively. China is rapidly developing advanced weapons with advanced technologies (including various types of anti-satellite weapons – highly destructive in nature.”
MIVD says China is working intensively to increase satellite launches – up to 40 in 2020, seeking to conduct more than 100 operations a year.
The MIVD said that China aims to advance in space through the development of a state-of-the-art quantum communication network with global coverage.
The Dutch agency said, “this form of communication is more difficult to intercept” and offers “a major military advantage”.
The MIVD said it had identified cover organizations that China was using to work around export restrictions.
The Dutch General Intelligence Agency AIVD, a sister agency of the MIVD, warned on Monday that China presented the “biggest threat to Dutch economic security” – which Beijing denied.
The Netherlands is a European leader manufacturing chips that are essential components for goods including smartphones and connected vehicles – but also military hardware.
In March, under pressure from Washington, The Hague announced plans for new export restrictions on technology to make computer chips to limit Chinese access to the technology.
Beijing slammed the move, which came less than two months after Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met President Joe Biden at the White House and discussed the issue.
The sanctions are expected to hit Dutch-based ASML, Europe’s biggest semiconductor tech company.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
