U.S. Pressures Nations to Choose Sides in AI Race

The United States is preparing to pressure dozens of countries to choose between joining a U.S.-led artificial intelligence alliance or supporting China’s competing AI framework, according to a U.S. official and an internal State Department draft reviewed by Reuters.

The move centers on Pax Silica, a U.S. initiative launched last year to strengthen supply chains for AI models, semiconductor chips and critical minerals. Around two dozen countries have joined the initiative, including Japan, Australia, South Korea and Kazakhstan.

Washington is now concerned that some countries may attempt to participate in both U.S. and Chinese AI initiatives. Kazakhstan is currently the only known country linked to both frameworks, raising concerns among U.S. officials.

A draft letter addressed to 35 countries that signed the U.S. AI Opportunity Statement urges governments to make a clear commitment. The document states that participation in Pax Silica is more than symbolic and warns that countries cannot simultaneously support initiatives with conflicting expectations.

The U.S. hopes the strategy will strengthen its technological alliance and limit China’s access to resources needed to compete in advanced artificial intelligence. AI leadership increasingly depends on access to powerful semiconductor chips, critical minerals, advanced models and international investment.

China, meanwhile, is expanding its own global AI influence. In July, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, promoting China’s open-weight AI technology as an alternative to the U.S.-led approach.

The growing competition comes as Chinese AI models rapidly improve and challenge systems developed by major U.S. companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic. The race for AI dominance also has major economic and national security implications, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of performing advanced tasks, including autonomous cyber operations.

China’s embassy in Washington criticized efforts to politicize technology and trade, arguing that such restrictions could slow global AI progress.

U.S. officials, however, believe countries seeking deeper cooperation with Washington cannot support competing AI ecosystems at the same time. The proposed policy signals that the global AI race between the U.S. and China is increasingly forcing nations to choose a side.