US Pushes Nations to Choose Between Its AI Coalition and China
The US is poised to inform numerous nations that they must choose a side in the competition for artificial intelligence with China, cautioning that those who align with Beijing’s alternative framework will be barred from participating in a US-led AI coalition, as indicated by a US official and an internal draft. Last year, Washington initiated the Pax Silica initiative, which is designed to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors, and critical minerals, in the context of an intense technological rivalry with Beijing. Approximately twenty-four nations have become members, among them Kazakhstan, a significant prospective supplier of essential minerals that has also aligned with China’s coalition, alongside close US allies like Japan, Australia, and South Korea. The draft letter, prepared by the State Department, is directed to the 35 signatories of a US “AI Opportunity Statement” signed in June. This group includes members of the non-binding Pax Silica framework as well as other nations that have indicated a willingness to align their AI cooperation with Washington.
By compelling nations to align themselves, the US aims to deprive China of essential resources in a competition to develop the most advanced AI, potentially serving purposes of military or economic supremacy. In July, Chinese President Xi Jinping initiated a competing “World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization,” advocating for his nation’s open-weight technology as a counter to US dominance in the rapidly evolving sector. Kazakhstan stands out as the sole nation to have aligned itself with both initiatives, raising concerns in Washington. “To be part of everything is to be part of nothing. Signature of the Pax Silica Declaration is not merely a membership subscription, but a commitment,” the letter says, urging countries to “choose deliberately” on AI. “It cannot be held alongside membership in duplicative initiatives whose expectations conflict with our own,” the letter said, without specifically mentioning China. The draft was undated. The State Department told it would not comment on “purportedly leaked internal documents.”
China’s embassy in Washington said the country opposes politicizing trade and technology issues. “Such actions will only stifle global AI advances and serve no one’s interests,” an embassy spokesperson said. The Kazakh embassy in Washington has not provided a response to the request for comment. The Pax Silica agreement seeks to encourage collaboration among US allies and partners in joint projects and export controls, ultimately aiming to diminish dependence on adversaries for essential minerals, AI models, and the semiconductor chips that drive them. The US-China tech race hits a turning point as Chinese open-weight AI models rapidly outpace proprietary systems from US firms like OpenAI and Anthropic. The rapid rise of technology, especially in autonomous hacking, has sparked a worldwide reckoning over its power. Beijing considers limiting foreign access to top AI models, underscoring rising tensions with its strict national security focus. In June, the US highlighted Kazakhstan as Central Asia’s first member of Pax Silica, showcasing its vital reserves of critical minerals for advanced technologies.
China wields its near-monopoly on critical minerals as a weapon in the tariff war initiated by US President Donald Trump, who is pushing for domestic and allied sourcing of these resources. Pax Silica members can tap into shared investments in AI projects. By signing the AI Opportunity Statement, they align with a “common purpose” and “shared vision” with the US, as noted on the State Department’s website. US officials crafted a letter to emphasise that “you can’t have it both ways,” a source told. “It’s difficult to see how a country can credibly position themselves as trusted partners in one technology ecosystem while simultaneously signing up for an initiative designed by China to advance a competing vision for AI,” the official said.
