US Demands Allies Choose Between American and Chinese AI Coalitions

The United States is preparing to force allies into a stark choice: align with Washington's artificial intelligence coalition or Beijing's competing framework, but not both.

According to a draft State Department letter reviewed by Reuters, the US will tell approximately 35 countries that participation in China's "World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization" is incompatible with membership in America's Pax Silica initiative. The letter warns that countries attempting to join both coalitions will be excluded from the US-led framework.

The Pax Silica Framework

Launched in 2025, Pax Silica aims to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors, and critical minerals amid intensifying technological rivalry with China. About two dozen countries have joined, including Japan, Australia, and South Korea.

The initiative provides members access to shared investment opportunities in AI-related projects and promotes joint efforts on export controls. The goal is to reduce reliance on adversaries for the raw materials and technology that power advanced AI systems.

Kazakhstan Triggers the Ultimatum

Kazakhstan's decision to join both coalitions set off alarm bells in Washington. The Central Asian nation possesses significant reserves of critical minerals essential for advanced technologies, making its alignment strategically important to both superpowers.

The draft letter makes the US position explicit: "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."

A US official told Reuters that "you can't have it both ways," adding that it's difficult to see how countries can position themselves as trusted partners in one technology ecosystem while simultaneously supporting a competing Chinese vision.

China's Counter-Initiative

Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the rival World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization in July, promoting China's open-weight AI technology as an alternative to US influence. The move comes as Chinese AI models have made rapid gains against proprietary systems from American companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.

Beijing has leveraged its near-monopolies over critical minerals as a retaliatory weapon in the ongoing tariff war initiated by President Donald Trump, who has intensified efforts to source these materials domestically and from allies.

Why it matters

This ultimatum represents a significant escalation in the US-China technology competition, forcing neutral countries to make explicit choices that could shape global AI development for decades. The battle for control over AI supply chains—from critical minerals to semiconductor chips to the models themselves—will determine which nation leads in a technology with profound military and economic implications. Countries caught between the two superpowers must now weigh access to American technology and investment against relationships with China, the world's second-largest economy.

Reuters could not determine when the US intends to send the letter or whether it might be amended. The State Department declined to comment on what it called "purportedly leaked internal documents." The Chinese and Kazakh embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

These details were first reported by Reuters.