US launches Pax Silica Initiative with 8 nations to secure AI supply chain and counter China

US and Partner Countries Launch Coalition to Secure AI Supply Chain

The United States has launched the Pax Silica Initiative alongside eight partner countries to secure global silicon supply chain infrastructure and address vulnerabilities across critical minerals and advanced semiconductors 1

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. The coalition brings together Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia, with Taiwan, the European Union, Canada, and the OECD joining as guest participants 2

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. US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg led the inaugural Pax Silica Summit on Thursday, where representatives signed a declaration formalizing coordination on artificial intelligence infrastructure and supply chain security 3

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The initiative responds to the AI race with China and aims to reduce coercive dependencies while protecting materials foundational to computer chips and AI systems 4

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. Partner countries plan to work together on semiconductor design, fabrication and packaging, logistics, compute systems, minerals refining, and power generation 1

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. The coalition includes nations hosting major technology companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, ASML, Sony Group, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Temasek, Google DeepMind, MGX, and Rio Tinto 2

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Addressing Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Economic Security

The Pax Silica Initiative marks the first time nations are collaborating by treating advanced semiconductors, critical minerals, and energy as shared strategic assets 3

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. Officials emphasized that AI is reshaping the world economy and will drive new demand for minerals, semiconductors, energy systems, and infrastructure 1

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. The initiative addresses vulnerabilities across semiconductor fabrication, critical mineral processing, energy infrastructure, and AI compute capacity 2

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Helberg stated that the declaration will allow participating nations to conduct joint research and development, manufacturing, and infrastructure development intended to rival China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative 3

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. "Economic security is national security -- and together, we're strengthening supply chains from minerals to semiconductors to computers and networks," Helberg wrote on social media 2

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. The US State Department described economic security as a "new geopolitical consensus," with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau emphasizing the goal to "build and deploy supply chains and information networks free from undue influence or control by countries or entities of concern" 4

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Building Trusted Technology Ecosystems for AI Dominance

The Pax Silica Initiative takes its name from the Latin pax, meaning peace and stability, and silica, the base compound refined into silicon for computer chips 1

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. The name embodies US ambition to lead the AI-driven era of prosperity through establishing what the State Department calls "a durable economic order" 3

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. Helberg told Bloomberg that "it's clear that right now in AI, it's a two-horse race -- it's the US and China," adding that the US wants to "make sure that our companies can continue building transformative technologies without being subject to coercive dependencies" 3

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Partner countries will explore joint ventures and co-investment opportunities while seeking to protect sensitive technologies from undue access or control by countries of concern 1

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. The countries will also build trusted technology ecosystems, including ICT systems, fiber optic cables, data centers, foundational models, and applications 1

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. Helberg has directed US diplomats to identify infrastructure projects and coordinate economic security practices to operationalize the summit's discussions 4

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. The initiative comes amid growing concerns over China's moves to tighten export controls on rare earth elements key to manufacturing military and electronic equipment 4

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. This grouping aims to be "to the AI age what the G7 was to the industrial age," according to Helberg 3

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, signaling long-term implications for global innovation ecosystems and the balance of technological power in the coming decades.