US Warns Countries Against Backing Rival China AI Initiative

Washington is preparing to pressure dozens of countries to choose between competing artificial intelligence alliances, warning that nations that join China’s rival AI framework could lose access to a U.S.-led coalition, according to a U.S. official and an internal draft reviewed by Reuters. The move reflects the growing competition between the United States and China for influence over the development of AI, as both powers seek to secure the technology, computing infrastructure and critical minerals needed to maintain an advantage in the sector. The United States launched the Pax Silica initiative last year as part of efforts to strengthen supply chains for AI models, semiconductor chips and critical minerals. About two dozen countries have joined the non-binding framework, including Japan, Australia and South Korea, as well as Kazakhstan, a major potential source of critical minerals. Kazakhstan has attracted particular attention in Washington because it has also joined China’s competing AI initiative, making it the only country currently known to be a member of both frameworks. Washington Calls for a Clear Choice The draft letter prepared by the U.S. State Department is addressed to the 35 countries that signed the U.S. “AI Opportunity Statement” in June. The group includes countries participating in Pax Silica as well as others that have expressed interest in closer AI cooperation with Washington. The proposed message is that countries cannot fully align themselves with competing technology ecosystems at the same time. “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, urging countries to “choose deliberately” on AI. The letter further states that Pax Silica membership “cannot be held alongside membership in duplicative initiatives whose expectations conflict with our own,” although it does not explicitly name China or its AI framework. A U.S. official familiar with the discussions said the intention was to make clear that countries “can’t have it both ways.” “It’s difficult to see how a country can credibly position themselves as trusted partners in one technology ecosystem while simultaneously signing up for an initiative designed by China to advance a competing vision for AI,” the official said. Reuters could not establish when Washington plans to send the letter or whether its language could change before it is issued. The draft was undated. The State Department declined to comment on what it described as “purportedly leaked internal documents.” China Builds a Rival AI Bloc The planned U.S. warning comes as Beijing steps up efforts to build its own international influence around artificial intelligence. Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the “World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization” in July, promoting China’s open-weight AI technology as an alternative to what Beijing views as growing U.S. dominance of the industry. Washington’s push to consolidate its AI partnerships reflects concerns that China could gain access to the resources and international relationships needed to narrow the technology gap. Critical minerals, advanced semiconductors and computing infrastructure are particularly important because they underpin the development and deployment of increasingly capable AI systems. China’s embassy in Washington said Beijing opposes the politicisation of trade and technology. “Such actions will only stifle global AI advances and serve no one’s interests,” an embassy spokesperson said. The Kazakh embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Critical Minerals Add to the Rivalry Pax Silica is designed to encourage U.S. allies and partners to cooperate on AI-related projects, strengthen supply chains and coordinate export controls. A key objective is to reduce Western dependence on countries considered strategic competitors for critical minerals, semiconductor components and AI technologies. Kazakhstan’s participation has particular significance because the Central Asian country holds substantial reserves of minerals used in advanced technologies. The United States highlighted its admission to Pax Silica in June as the initiative’s first expansion into Central Asia. Critical minerals have become an increasingly important source of leverage in the broader U.S.-China economic rivalry. Beijing currently holds dominant positions in the processing and supply of several minerals, and China has previously used restrictions on critical-mineral exports as a response to trade pressure from Washington. The issue has become even more urgent as U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to expand domestic mineral production and secure alternative supplies from American allies. AI Race Raises Stakes The competition is no longer limited to trade and supply chains. The rapid improvement of AI models has created concerns about their potential economic, military and national-security applications. Chinese open-weight models have made significant advances and are increasingly challenging proprietary systems developed by U.S. companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. The growing capabilities of AI, including systems that can perform increasingly sophisticated tasks with limited human intervention, have intensified debate over how the technology should be governed. Beijing is also considering restrictions on overseas access to some of its leading AI models, underscoring the tension between its push to promote Chinese AI globally and its increasingly stringent national-security policies. For Washington, the challenge is therefore not simply to maintain a technological lead but also to ensure that countries supplying the minerals, infrastructure and markets needed for AI development remain aligned with the U.S.-led ecosystem. The proposed letter marks a potentially significant escalation in that strategy, putting countries that want to work with both Washington and Beijing under increasing pressure to decide where their long-term AI partnerships lie.