AMSTERDAM, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Wingtech, the Chinese parent company of Netherlands-based chipmaker Nexperia, has invited the court-appointed custodians of its Dutch unit to Beijing for talks on control of the company, a source familiar with the dispute told Reuters. It was not clear whether the move could be a first step towards easing relations between Nexperia's European arm and its Chinese parent and Chinese operating subsidiaries, which have been at odds since the Dutch government intervened in September. The dispute has caused shortages of chips and production problems for global automakers. While the Chinese and Dutch governments eased restrictions on Nexperia, a court fight and internal battle are continuing. A spokesperson for Nexperia BV confirmed it is aware of the invitation extended to the two men, which follows its own call for talks with its Chinese operations in late November. Nexperia had seen "no indications of any willingness to engage in meaningful discussions on the restoration of the supply chain". Arnold Croiset van Uchelen, the lawyer appointed as custodian of Nexperia's shares, confirmed to Reuters he and court-appointed non-executive manager Guido Dierick had received a letter from Wingtech. "We have indeed received an invitation like that, and we'll respond shortly," he said, adding: "We're available for a conversation, but about the who, what and where, we're not disclosing that in the media." Nexperia's Chinese packaging arm has declared independence and is seeking to replace European wafers with others made in China. The European production arm has halted wafer shipments to China, citing nonpayment. Stockpiles of the company's chips are dwindling and the car industry fears shortages may re-emerge. (Reporting by Toby Sterling, writing by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Alexander Smith) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
