The CEO of ASML commented on this story in Nieuwsuur last Tuesday [1] (the interview starts at 22m35s). Caption file can be found here [2], which is not entirely correct in every sentence uttered, but translates pretty well.
Main points raised there:
1) This story is about four employees, who were not closely familiar to the core technology of ASML.
2) Looking at the circumstances, it seems far more likely that this was an action by ex-exployees with commercial motives, rather than government-sponsored spying.
3) ASMLs core technology simply remains in The Netherlands. An anecdote: 15 years ago ASML came with the most advanced lithography scanner of that time. It was copied in China to the last screw, but the device simply didn't work, because they lacked intricate knowledge on its actual operation.
[1] https://www.npostart.nl/nieuwsuur/16-04-2019/VPWON_1297076
[2] https://pastebin.com/Zg55qtYK
Main points raised there:
1) This story is about four employees, who were not closely familiar to the core technology of ASML.
2) Looking at the circumstances, it seems far more likely that this was an action by ex-exployees with commercial motives, rather than government-sponsored spying.
3) ASMLs core technology simply remains in The Netherlands. An anecdote: 15 years ago ASML came with the most advanced lithography scanner of that time. It was copied in China to the last screw, but the device simply didn't work, because they lacked intricate knowledge on its actual operation.
[1] https://www.npostart.nl/nieuwsuur/16-04-2019/VPWON_1297076
[2] https://pastebin.com/Zg55qtYK