US to tell dozens of countries: Choose us or China, no ‘à la carte’ option
The United States is pressuring nations to choose between its 'Pax Silica' AI and semiconductor coalition and China's competing framework. A draft letter from the State Department warns that countries cannot maintain dual memberships, framing the choice as a commitment to US-led supply chain security.
Why it matters
This move marks an escalation in the US-China technological rivalry, forcing smaller nations to navigate complex geopolitical alliances in the critical AI and semiconductor sectors.
The United States is preparing to send a letter to dozens of countries, telling them that they must choose sides in the global AI race, according to a report by Reuters. As per a US official and a draft reviewed by Reuters, nations that join China’s competing framework will be excluded from Washington’s coalition, known as Pax Silica. For the uninitiated, launched last year, Pax Silica is designed to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors and critical minerals. Around two dozen countries have signed on, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Kazakhstan. But Kazakhstan has also joined China’s newly announced World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, raising concerns in Washington. The draft letter warns: “To be part of everything is to be part of nothing.
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