US to Pressure More Than 30 Countries to 'Choose' Between China and the US on AI

The US State Department has drafted a letter that it plans to send to 35 countries. These 35 countries are precisely those that signed the US-backed Joint Statement on the Partnership for AI Opportunities in June this year. Although the letter does not directly name China, it clearly states that countries “cannot simultaneously participate in duplicative initiatives that are intended to conflict with our own.” China, meanwhile, proposed establishing the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in July.

A US official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said the letter was drafted to make clear that “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” The wording in the letter is even more forceful: “If you participate in everything, you participate in nothing. Signing the Pax Silica Declaration is not merely about gaining membership; it is a commitment.” This “either-or” letter is not an isolated move, but an extension of a broader series of US actions.

In December 2025, the US launched the “Pax Silica” initiative, aimed at building supply chains covering critical minerals, semiconductors, and AI infrastructure. The initial signatories included seven countries: the US, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Israel. The initiative later expanded to 24 signatories, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the European Union.

In June 2026, the second “Pax Silica” summit was held in Washington, during which the Joint Statement on the Partnership for AI Opportunities was signed by 35 countries. Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times that the two initiatives are interconnected: the former serves as the underlying framework, focusing on security controls and supply-chain barriers, while the latter is an upgraded and “soft-narrative extension,” using “trusted partners” as the standard to build an economic, technological, and security bloc centered on the US AI technology stack.

Meanwhile, on July 16, 2026, the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), proposed by China, was established in Shanghai, with 29 countries signing the agreement to become founding members. Kazakhstan, which is rich in critical mineral resources, is the only known country to have joined both initiatives so far. From the US perspective, this represents a “loophole” that must be closed.

China Accuses the US of “Tech Bullying,” Allies Reluctant

The Chinese Embassy in the United States told Reuters that China opposes the politicization of trade and technology issues. An embassy spokesperson said: “Such practices will only hinder the development of global AI and serve the interests of no party.”

Hu Qimu, deputy secretary-general of the China Digital-Real Economy Integration 50 Forum, told the Global Times that the US push to divide the AI industrial chain and pursue decoupling from China would not only be difficult to implement and drive up costs, but would also make it difficult to win over allies. He further noted that if parallel AI markets emerge, external restrictions would force China to build an AI industry ecosystem with lower dependence on European and US technologies, which could instead harm the long-term interests of the US and multinational companies involved.

An editorial published by China Daily on August 16 stated that such an exclusionary strategy “will undoubtedly harm the development of AI, as it will fragment global supply chains and erode multilateral cooperation.” The editorial criticized the US for adopting a zero-sum mindset of “if it cannot lead, it seeks to prevent others from making progress.”

From the perspective of international reactions, Reuters noted that the US is attempting to build a closed-loop system that completely excludes China. However, apart from core Anglo-Saxon allies and some Eastern European countries, the vast majority of countries are unwilling to sacrifice their real economic ties with China to serve US strategic interests. For the EU, Japan, South Korea, and even Southeast Asian countries, maintaining a balancing position between China and the US is the strategy that best serves their interests. The US State Department declined to comment on the contents of the alleged “leaked internal documents.”

The US decision to increase pressure at this particular moment follows a clear chain of logic.

First, the technological gap between China and the US in AI is narrowing. In recent years, China’s AI industry has developed rapidly, while the international influence of its open-source community has steadily increased. The technological gap between China and the US continues to narrow. China’s open-weight AI models are rapidly catching up with proprietary systems developed by OpenAI and Anthropic.

Second, the effectiveness of unilateral US containment is declining. Many countries, out of rational consideration of their own interests, do not want to participate in bloc confrontation, weakening the impact of some US policies aimed at containing China. Against this backdrop, the US has begun to intensify strategic efforts to contain China, attempting to restrict international cooperation involving China’s AI governance frameworks and technological solutions through coercive measures.

Third, concerns over critical minerals. The development of the AI industry is highly dependent on strategic critical minerals such as rare earths, gallium, and germanium, as well as high-end computing chips. Through the “Pax Silica” initiative, the US hopes to cooperate with allies and implement export controls to reduce dependence on competitors in areas including critical minerals, AI models, and semiconductor chips.

Reuters’ report cuts to the heart of the matter: The US is pressuring countries to choose sides in an attempt to “cut off China’s resource pipelines” and thereby prevent China from developing cutting-edge AI technologies that could be used to gain military or economic advantages.