The U.S. State Department has drafted a letter telling dozens of countries they must choose between a U.S.-led AI coalition and China's rival framework, according to a U.S. official and an internal draft reviewed by Reuters. The letter warns that countries joining both initiatives will be excluded from the American bloc, which Washington hopes will starve Beijing of resources in the race to build the most advanced AI.
The draft is addressed to the 35 signatories of the U.S. "AI Opportunity Statement" signed in June, which includes members of the Pax Silica initiative launched last year. Pax Silica aims to secure supply chains for AI models, semiconductors and critical minerals. About two dozen countries have joined, including Japan, Australia, South Korea and Kazakhstan - the only country known to have also signed up to Beijing's competing "World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization," launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in July.
Choosing sides
The letter urges countries to "choose deliberately" on AI, saying that "to be part of everything is to be part of nothing." It adds that membership in Pax Silica "cannot be held alongside membership in duplicative initiatives whose expectations conflict with our own." The draft does not mention China by name.
"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 U.S. official told Reuters.
Reuters could not determine when the letter will be sent or whether it might be amended. The State Department declined to comment on "purportedly leaked internal documents."
Why the U.S. is pressing now
The push comes as Chinese open-weight AI models have made rapid gains against proprietary systems from U.S. companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. The technology's exponential growth, including the ability to hack autonomously, has forced governments to confront its military and economic implications.
Beijing is weighing restrictions on overseas access to some of its leading AI models, highlighting tension between its national security agenda and its push for global influence. China has also used its near-monopolies over critical minerals as a retaliatory weapon in the tariff war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Washington touted Kazakhstan in June as the first Central Asian country to join Pax Silica, citing its significant reserves of critical minerals that fuel advanced technologies. Members of Pax Silica get access to shared investment opportunities in AI-related projects, while signatories of the AI Opportunity Statement have symbolically agreed on a "common purpose" and "shared vision" with the U.S.
Why this matters for government and IT professionals
For professionals in government, IT and development, the letter signals that AI cooperation is becoming a formal alliance structure with real consequences. Countries that straddle both blocs may lose access to U.S. investment, export controls and joint projects - factors that can determine which AI models and chips are available in their markets. Organizations that work across borders should watch which framework their home country chooses, since that decision will shape access to technology, funding and supply chains for years.
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