Asia Tech Wire (July 8) -- Peter Wennink, former CEO of Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML, said in a recent interview with local radio station BNR that the U.S.-China dispute over computer chips is based on ideology rather than facts and will continue.

Wennink, who stepped down from his post in April, predicted that the U.S.-China chip war would last for decades based on geopolitical interests.

ASML is Europe's largest tech company, and mainland China is its 2nd largest market after Taiwan.

Since 2018, the U.S. has imposed increasing restrictions on ASML's exports to China, citing national security concerns, and has recently attempted to prevent ASML from providing after-sales service for Chinese customers.

Meanwhile, customers in mainland China have been unable to access a number of ASML's chip-making equipment.

Wennink noted in Saturday's interview that the discussion about U.S. chip restrictions on China is not based on facts or data, but on ideology.

He added that a company's business must balance the interests of its shareholders, but that is difficult to do when ideology intervenes.

Wennink also said that ASML has been working in China for 30 years and has many customers and employees, so it needs to be responsible to them.

He said he has lobbied to avoid tight export controls and has complained to Chinese officials that ASML's intellectual property rights are not being respected.

Wennink objected to the U.S. seeing him as a friend of China, explaining that he was only a friend to customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders.