ASML Caught Selling Chip Machines to Chinese Military - Dutch Government Knew

Описание: ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment giant and the only company on Earth that makes extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, just got caught in a geopolitical firestorm. According to an investigation by Dutch outlet NOS, ASML sold chip manufacturing equipment to China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC)—a state-owned enterprise that sits at the heart of China's military-industrial complex, producing equipment for rocket systems, drones, the space program, and military-specific chips.But ASML's defense raises a critical question: they claim the technology sold was "old" deep ultraviolet (DUV) systems producing 38-nanometer chips, not cutting-edge 8-nanometer EUV technology. So is this a legitimate business transaction with outdated equipment, or a national security disaster unfolding in slow motion?This video breaks down why the "old technology" defense doesn't hold up. While 38nm processes can't produce the latest iPhone chips, they're more than adequate for missile guidance systems, radar equipment, communications hardware, and quantum computing research. Even more troubling: ASML also allegedly supplied a complete DUV system to the Shenzhen International Quantum Academy—exactly the kind of institution Dutch military intelligence has warned against supporting, given quantum computing's implications for breaking encryption and military communications.The legal gray area is fascinating: ASML sold components as separate parts rather than complete systems, technically complying with export controls. But as Judith Huismans from Rand Europa explains, "if you sell someone all the essential components of a system, even as separate parts, aren't you effectively selling them the complete system?"🎯 Key Issues Covered:

What CETC does: rocket systems, drones, space program, military chip fabrication
DUV vs EUV technology: why 38nm still matters for military applications
The quantum computing connection and cryptography implications
Export control loopholes: parts vs complete systems
Why "old technology" builds the foundation for future independence
Netherlands caught between US pressure and China market access
Incremental capability building: you can't jump to 8nm without mastering 38nm first

Expert analysis from Rand Europa on closing regulatory gaps
Critical Insight: China has invested billions in domestic semiconductor capability precisely because it sees foreign dependence as strategic vulnerability. Every piece of equipment legally purchased—even "old" technology—provides reference platforms, manufacturing know-how, and reduces reliance on foreign foundries. Progress is incremental. You don't master advanced processes overnight.

The question isn't whether the technology is cutting-edge. The question is whether we're watching China build the foundation for semiconductor independence while Western companies profit from legal loopholes.

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