US-China chip war: ASML says China employee stole data

Major computer chip equipment maker ASML says a former employee in China stole information about its technology.

The Dutch firm says it has since reported the breach to authorities in the Netherlands and the US.

However, the company added that it does not "believe that the misappropriation is material to our business."

ASML is one of the most important firms in the global microchip supply chain. It makes machines that produce the world's most advanced chips.

Chips, or semiconductors, which are used to power everything from mobile phones to military hardware, are at the centre of a bitter dispute between the US and China. read more