Washington is moving toward a policy of hard separation in the field of artificial intelligence. The State Department has prepared a diplomatic message for the 35 states that joined the Joint Statement on AI Capabilities in June. The essence is crystal clear: an attempt to simultaneously participate in a competing initiative automatically closes access to the American technology coalition Pax Silica. I have obtained a draft of the document, confirming the harshness of its wording.
Recall that Pax Silica, announced in December 2025 by Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, is not just a declaration of intent, but a full-fledged cross-sectoral alliance covering critical raw materials, energy, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, and, of course, AI infrastructure. Following the June summit in Washington, 24 states joined it, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Israel, India, the UAE, and the European Union. In August, Italy was added to the list.
Beijing's response was not long in coming. On July 16, the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO) was launched with its headquarters in Shanghai, uniting 29 countries, including Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia, and a number of African states. Notably, none of the G7 countries joined it.
"Being part of everything means being part of nothing. Signing the Pax Silica Declaration is not a formality, but a commitment," the text of the letter reads.
The authors of the message urge partners to "make an informed choice" and directly state that membership in Pax Silica is incompatible with participation in projects that contradict American interests. Although Beijing is not named in the document, my source in government circles confirms: it is specifically about the Chinese AI initiative. Participation in it, in effect, puts an end to a partner's reputation within the American technology architecture.
The situation with Kazakhstan is telling—the only known country to have ended up in both coalitions. Astana joined Pax Silica in June, and Helberg specifically emphasized its rare earth metal reserves and trans-Caspian transit potential. However, just a month later, President Tokayev took part in the Shanghai conference where WAICO was formalized. It is precisely this "double game" that provoked such a sharp reaction from Washington.
Technology background and my conclusions
The escalation is occurring against the backdrop of the rapid convergence of the capabilities of Chinese open-weight models with the proprietary systems of OpenAI and Anthropic. At the same time, Beijing is increasingly considering restricting exports of its best AI developments, which only heightens tensions. In July, the U.S. FCC already banned the import of Chinese robots and power inverters, citing the protection of supply chains for the AI industry.
This ultimatum is, in fact, an acknowledgment that the world is finally splitting into two technology poles. Neutrality in this race is becoming a luxury that no state claiming to be a serious player in the digital economy can afford. The only question is how long countries can balance before they are forced to make a final choice that will determine their technological sovereignty for decades to come.