Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg convenes The Pax Silica Summit, the first convening of a high level, private gathering focused on economic security and the establishment of a new grouping of partners tailored for the AI economy at Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on Dec. 12, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images
The U.S. is preparing to tell dozens of countries they must pick sides in the artificial intelligence race with China, warning they will be excluded from a U.S.-led AI coalition if they also sign up for Beijing’s competing framework, according to a U.S. official and an internal draft reviewed by Reuters
Washington launched the Pax Silica initiative last year to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors and critical minerals, amid a fierce technology rivalry with Beijing
About two dozen countries have joined, including Kazakhstan, a key potential as well as close U.S. allies such as Japan, Australia and South Korea
The draft letter, prepared by the State Department, is addressed to the 35 signatories of a U.S. “AI Opportunity Statement” signed in June, which includes members of the non-binding Pax Silica framework and other countries that have expressed a desire to align cooperation on AI with Washington
In July, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a rival “World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization”, promoting his country’s open-weight technology as a challenge to U.S. influence over the fast-moving sector
Kazakhstan is the only country so far known to have joined both initiatives, setting off alarm bells 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
Reuters could not determine when the U.S. intends to send the letter or whether it might be amended before sending. The draft was undated
The State Department told Reuters 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 did not respond to a request for comment
‘Can’t have it both ways’
The Pax Silica agreement aims to push U.S. allies and partners toward joint projects and export controls, and ultimately reduce reliance on adversaries for critical minerals, AI models and the semiconductor chips that power them
The race between the U.S. and China for technological leadership has reached a pivotal moment, as Chinese open-weight AI models have made rapid gains against proprietary systems from U.S. companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic
The exponential growth of the technology’s capabilities, including the ability to hack autonomously, has forced a global reckoning over its power
Beijing is weighing restrictions on overseas access to some of China’s leading AI models, highlighting the growing tension with its stringent national security agenda
The U.S. touted Kazakhstan in June as the first country in Central Asia to join Pax Silica, bringing significant reserves of critical minerals that fuel advanced technologies
China has used its current near-monopolies over critical minerals as a retaliatory weapon in a tariff war launched last year by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has ramped up U.S. efforts to
Members of Pax Silica have access to shared investment opportunities in AI-related projects while those who sign the AI Opportunity Statement have symbolically agreed on a “common purpose” and “shared vision” with the U.S., according to the statement posted on the State Department’s website
U.S. officials drafted the letter to make clear that “you can’t have it both ways,” the U.S. official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity given ongoing internal discussions on the issue
“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
