The United States plans to tell partner countries they must choose between Washington's Pax Silica framework and China's rival AI organization, warning that dual membership could lead to exclusion from U.S.-led cooperation. A State Department draft letter to 35 signatories of a June "AI Opportunity Statement" urges recipients to "choose deliberately" and frames Pax Silica as a commitment rather than a subscription. Kazakhstan's membership in both initiatives has raised particular concern in Washington. The move underscores growing geostrategic tensions as AI capabilities and supply-chain control become central to technological competition.
U.S. Warns Partners: Choose Sides in AI Race With China, Draft Letter Says
FILE PHOTO: U.S. and Chinese flags are seen in this illustration created on April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The United States is preparing to tell dozens of partner countries they must choose between Washington's AI framework and Beijing's competing initiative, warning that dual membership could lead to exclusion from a U.S.-led coalition, according to a U.S. official and an internal draft reviewed by Reuters.
What the Draft Says
The undated draft letter, prepared by the State Department and addressed to 35 signatories of a June "AI Opportunity Statement," urges countries to "choose deliberately" and warns that membership in overlapping initiatives with conflicting expectations is incompatible with U.S. commitments. It emphasizes that signing the Pax Silica declaration is a commitment, not merely a subscription.
"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 draft says.
Why It Matters
Launched last year, the Pax Silica initiative aims to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors and critical minerals and to steer allies toward joint projects and coordinated export controls. U.S. officials say pressing partners to choose sides is intended to limit China’s access to resources and partnerships needed to develop advanced AI systems that could have military or economic implications.
Beijing has launched its own rival body — the "World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization" — promoted by President Xi Jinping as a global alternative. Kazakhstan, a country with significant critical-mineral reserves, has so far been publicly identified as the only nation to join both initiatives, raising concerns in Washington about dual commitments.
Context and Reactions
U.S. officials noted that Chinese open-weight AI models have made rapid progress and increasingly compete with proprietary systems built by U.S. firms. At the same time, Beijing appears to be weighing restrictions on overseas access to some of its leading AI models, reflecting tensions between technological openness and national security.
Reuters could not determine when the U.S. will send the letter or whether it will be revised. The State Department declined to comment on "purportedly leaked internal documents," and the Chinese and Kazakh embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bottom line: The draft letter signals a tougher U.S. stance in the deepening AI competition with China, asking partners to make an explicit choice about which technology ecosystem they will join.
Help us improve.
