UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered a security review of the purchase of the UK’s largest producer of semiconductors by a Chinese-owned firm after the acquisition was widely criticized by Members of Parliament (MPs).
Johnson said on July 7 that he has asked his national security adviser to probe into the purchase of Newport Wafer Fab (NWF) by Nexperia, a Dutch firm wholly owned by Chinese company Wingtech. The Welsh-based NWF produces chips used in technological products ranging from cellphones to cars. The company is specialized in the more advanced compound semiconductors, which is the key technology used in 5G networks and facial recognition software. It also has close research cooperation with British universities.
