On December 11, the United States officially announced a landmark international cooperation framework—the Pax Silica Declaration. This is more than just an agreement; it symbolizes the world’s entry into a new geopolitical era centered on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and critical minerals. Against the backdrop of AI rapidly reshaping economies and national power competition, the United States has chosen to respond to supply chain risks through alliances, attempting to forge a safer, more controllable, and resilient path for technological development for itself and its allies.
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The Birth of Silicon Peace: From Military Alliance to Technological and Economic Alliance
At the signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., representatives from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Israel jointly launched the “Pax Silica” cooperation mechanism. The name combines the Latin word for “peace” (Pax) with “silicon,” a key material for AI, clearly highlighting its core spirit: maintaining international order and security through technological and economic power.
Unlike traditional alliances primarily focused on military interests, Silicon Peace is positioned as a new type of international organization, focusing on shared strategic assets such as computing power, semiconductors, critical minerals, energy, and infrastructure. The US believes that whoever can stably control these resources will gain a long-term competitive advantage in the AI era.
Economic security is national security: a new consensus is forming.
The Pax Silica Summit, held on the same day, further elevated this cooperation to a multilateral level. Representatives from many countries, including the European Union, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates, gathered in Washington to reinforce a key consensus: economic security is now equivalent to national security, and national security, in turn, determines the stability of economic development.
During the summit discussions, participating countries focused on how to reduce structural dependence on any single country, particularly in the rare earth and critical mineral sectors required for AI. As global supply chains shift from “just-in-time production” to “strategic alliances,” building a trustworthy and traceable technological ecosystem is seen as a core challenge for the coming decades.
Rare Earths and AI: Facing Supply Chain Risks Under China’s Dominance
The backdrop to the US’s push for “silicon peace” is China’s dominant position in the mining of critical minerals and rare earths. Data shows that China controls about 70% of the world’s critical rare earth supply, and these materials are essential for AI, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg stated bluntly, “We believe this gathering and organization is crucial because the global system is shifting from ‘just-in-time’ to ‘strategically aligned’.” The goal of this alliance is to ensure member countries have reliable access to the inputs and infrastructure that determine AI competitiveness, avoiding the risk of supply disruptions during geopolitical tensions. Silicon Peace is not intended to isolate any country, but rather to provide a platform for coordinated action among partners who wish to maintain competitiveness and prosperity.
From supply chains to institutional design: Structural competition and cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative
At the strategic level, “Silicon Peace” is also seen by the outside world as the United States’ response to China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. Through joint research and development, manufacturing, logistics, mineral refining and infrastructure cooperation, the United States hopes to establish an alternative architecture centered on democratic allies to reduce China’s influence in global transportation hubs and critical infrastructure.
Jacob Helberg described the alliance as having the potential to become the “G7 of the AI era,” not just a dialogue platform, but an action-oriented alliance that can actually drive industrial policy and cross-border investment.
Regulation and diplomacy go hand in hand: The US AI strategy is taking shape.
It is worth noting that around the time the declaration was released, US President Trump also signed an executive order centralizing AI regulatory authority at the federal level to avoid the chaos of “50 different regulatory versions” arising from each state acting independently, which could hinder industry development. This policy has received support from many technology industry leaders, indicating that Washington is attempting to comprehensively position itself in the global AI race through a three-pronged approach involving diplomacy, supply chain, and regulation.
From the signing of the Silicon Peace Declaration to the cooperation blueprint revealed at the summit, December 11th is not just a date of announcement, but may also become a crucial turning point in the global technological and geopolitical landscape. Whether the “Silicon Peace” initiative can truly be effective remains to be seen, but what is certain is that AI has officially taken center stage in international strategic competition.
References:
- Under Secretary Helberg Will Kick Off Pax Silica Summit with Landmark Declaration Signing
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