Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg will convene the Pax Silica Summit, the first convening of a high-level civilian gathering focused on creating a new group of partners aligned with economic security and the AI economy, on December 12, 2025 at the Donald J. Trump Institute for Peace in Washington, DC.
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The United States is preparing to tell dozens of countries which side to take in the artificial intelligence race with China, warning that they will be excluded from the U.S.-led AI coalition if they also join China’s competitive framework, according to U.S. officials and an internal draft reviewed by Reuters.
Last year, the U.S. government launched the Pax Silica initiative to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors and critical minerals amid intense technology competition with China.
About 24 countries are participating, including Kazakhstan, an important potential source of critical minerals and also part of China’s coalition, and close U.S. allies such as Japan, Australia and South Korea.
The draft letter, written by the State Department, was addressed to the 35 signatories of the U.S. AI Opportunity Statement signed in June, including members of the non-binding Pax Silica Framework and other countries that have expressed interest in collaborating with the U.S. on AI cooperation.
By forcing countries to choose sides, the United States hopes to drain China’s resources in the race to develop the most sophisticated AI that can be used for military or economic domination.
In July, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a rival Global Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization to promote his country’s indiscriminate technology as a challenge to U.S. influence in the fast-moving field.
Kazakhstan is so far the only country known to have participated in both efforts, raising alarm in Washington.
“To be part of everything is to be part of nothing. Signing the Pax Silica Declaration is more than just membership, it is a commitment,” the letter said, urging countries to “choose carefully” about AI.
“We cannot hold the event in parallel with member states with overlapping efforts that are inconsistent with our expectations,” the letter said, without specifically mentioning China.
Reuters could not say when the U.S. plans to send the letter or whether it may be amended before being sent. The draft had no date.
The State Department told Reuters it would not comment on “allegedly leaked internal documents.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington said China opposes politicizing trade and technology issues. An embassy spokesperson said: “Such actions will only hinder global AI progress and are in no one’s interest.”
Kazakhstan’s embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
“You can’t have it both ways.”
The Pax-Silica deal aims to encourage U.S. allies and partners to pursue joint projects and export controls, ultimately reducing dependence 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 China’s open-weight AI models are rapidly advancing against proprietary systems from U.S. companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
The exponential growth in technological capabilities, including the ability to autonomously hack, requires a global recognition of its power.
The Chinese government is considering restrictions on foreign access to some of China’s key AI models, underscoring growing tensions over strict national security challenges.
In June, the United States touted Kazakhstan as the first country in Central Asia to join Pax Silica, bringing with it vast reserves of critical minerals that power advanced technologies.
China is using its current near-monopoly over critical minerals as a weapon of retaliation in a tariff war launched last year by President Donald Trump, who has stepped up U.S. efforts to source minerals domestically and from allies.
Pax Silica members will have access to shared investment opportunities in AI-related projects, while members who sign the AI Opportunity Statement are symbolically agreeing to a “common purpose” and “shared vision” with the United States, according to a statement posted on the State Department’s website.
Given the ongoing domestic debate on the issue, a U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the letter was drafted to make clear that “we cannot take both sides.”
“It is difficult to see how a country can credibly position itself as a trusted partner in one technology ecosystem while signing up to initiatives designed by China to advance competing visions for AI,” the official said.
