The US is forcing its allies to choose sides: Pax Silica versus the Chinese AI coalition.
The geopolitical divide in the field of artificial intelligence is reaching a new level. The U.S. administration has prepared an official appeal to the 35 states that signed the Joint Statement on AI Opportunities in June, with an ultimatum: participation in competing alliances automatically closes the doors to the Pax Silica coalition. This is about a strategic choice that will determine the technological architecture for decades to come.
Pax Silica, presented in December 2025 by Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, is not just a diplomatic initiative but a comprehensive ecosystem covering critical raw materials, energy, advanced manufacturing, the semiconductor industry, and AI infrastructure. At the June summit in Washington, 24 states signed the declaration, including key players such as Japan, Australia, South Korea, the UK, India, and the UAE. Italy joined later, in August.
Beijing, of course, did not stand aside. On July 16, 29 countries signed an agreement to launch the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO) with headquarters in Shanghai. The list included Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia, and about ten African states. Notably, no G7 country joined the Chinese initiative.
"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 states.
The authors of the document urge partners to "make an informed choice," emphasizing that membership in Pax Silica is incompatible with participation in projects that contradict U.S. interests. Although Beijing is not explicitly mentioned, a government source confirmed that the Chinese AI initiative is the primary target of the warning.
Of particular interest is the situation with Kazakhstan—the only known country that finds itself in both coalitions. Astana joined Pax Silica in June, and a month later, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participated in the Shanghai conference where WAICO was formalized. Washington is clearly concerned about such "double-dealing," given the republic's strategic importance with its rare earth metal reserves and trans-Caspian transit potential.
Analytical Perspective
The situation resembles Cold War logic, but in a technological dimension. The U.S. is attempting to create an exclusive club where membership implies full loyalty. However, it is telling that even closest allies, such as India or the UAE, traditionally seek to maintain a multi-vector approach. In the long term, such an ultimatum-based approach could backfire—countries unwilling to lose access to Chinese open-source AI models, which are rapidly closing the gap with proprietary systems from OpenAI and Anthropic, may prefer neutrality. The final version of the letter and its sending timeline remain unknown—the State Department officially does not comment on leaks, while the Chinese embassy has already called such actions politicization of trade and technology issues that hinders AI development. In July, the U.S. already banned imports of Chinese robots and inverters to protect the AI supply chain—this ultimatum is merely a continuation of the same logic.