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posted by janrinok on Monday November 21 2022, @10:07PM   Printer-friendly

https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/17/uk_forces_newport_fab_sale/

The UK's secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has ordered that the Chinese owner of the Newport Wafer Fab sell off its interest in the facility on grounds of national security.

Secretary Grant Shapps on Wednesday published an order [PDF] in which he explained ownership of the facility represents a national security risk as:

i. technology and know-how that could result from a potential reintroduction of compound semiconductor activities at the Newport site, and the potential for those activities to undermine UK capabilities; and ii. the location of the site could facilitate access to technological expertise and know-how in the South Wales Cluster ("the Cluster"), and the links between the site and the Cluster may prevent the Cluster being engaged in future projects relevant to national security.

The Newport Wafer Fab is the UK's largest chipmaking facility. In July 2021 it was sold for £63 million ($111,500,000) to Dutch company Nexperia, which itself became a subsidiary of Chinese outfit Wingtech Technology in 2018.

News of the sale to Nexperia saw then-prime minister Boris Johnson promise to a conduct a national security investigation into the takeover. That probe led to a damning report titled "Sovereignty for sale: follow-up to the acquisition of Newport Wafer Fab" and allegations that the probe ordered by Johnson had amounted to nothing. A full assessment under the National Security and Investment Act was then instigated, with the result that Shapps has now ordered Nexperia to sell at least 86 percent of the Newport facility.

Nexperia has published a statement condemning the decision.


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  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by RamiK on Tuesday November 22 2022, @12:41AM (3 children)

    by RamiK (1813) on Tuesday November 22 2022, @12:41AM (#1280930)

    Some national security threat.

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by EJ on Tuesday November 22 2022, @02:09AM (1 child)

    by EJ (2452) on Tuesday November 22 2022, @02:09AM (#1280941)

    I don't think you understand the gravity of the threat.

    First, they take over the wafers. Next comes the biscuits.

    Pretty soon, afternoon tea will be COMPLETELY at the mercy of China.

    • (Score: 2) by Rich on Saturday December 03 2022, @03:02PM

      by Rich (945) on Saturday December 03 2022, @03:02PM (#1281015) Journal

      Wah! Some database crash gobbled up my reply.

      Pretty soon, afternoon tea will be COMPLETELY at the mercy of China.

      Pretty soon, afternoon tea will be completely at the mercy of China AGAIN.

      Be reminded that the English afternoon tea today is ultimately the result of a major IP theft by the British from China. The Chinese might remember that...https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-british-tea-heist-9866709/ [smithsonianmag.com]

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by PiMuNu on Friday December 02 2022, @05:29PM

    by PiMuNu (3823) on Friday December 02 2022, @05:29PM (#1280948)

    A little more about what they do:

    https://manufacturing-today.com/news/newport-wafer-fab/ [manufacturing-today.com]

    Sounds like a strategic investment from a hostile government can do some damage there.