Washington: The United States, South Korea, and other international partners have signed the "Pax Silica" Declaration, aiming to establish a "trusted" supply chain ecosystem for artificial intelligence (AI), critical minerals, and other strategic areas. This initiative is part of Washington's efforts to counterbalance China's increasing influence in these fields.
According to Yonhap News Agency, seven countries, including Japan, Australia, Britain, Israel, and Singapore, endorsed the declaration during the inaugural Pax Silica summit in Washington. This America-led initiative seeks to build a coalition among U.S. allies and partners. The term "Pax Silica" is derived from the Latin pax, symbolizing peace and stability, and silica, a key component in silicon, essential for computer chips that power AI technologies.
The declaration coincides with President Donald Trump's administration's push to enhance the U.S.'s global "AI dominance," ensure stable supply chains for critical minerals, and counter China's control over these crucial resources. The rivalry between the U.S. and China continues to intensify.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina represented South Korea at the summit. Although the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates participated in the meeting, they did not sign the declaration. As released by Seoul's foreign ministry, the declaration emphasized AI as a transformative force for long-term prosperity and underscored the necessity of "trustworthy" systems for mutual security and economic growth.
The document highlighted various cooperation areas, including software applications, computing and semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, transportation logistics, and energy. It also stressed the importance of "fair" market practices and collaborative efforts against "market distortions," while avoiding direct mention of China.
The declaration stated, "We believe that true economic security requires reducing excessive dependencies and forging new connections with reliable partners and suppliers committed to fair market practices... We will endeavor to provide access to trusted partners to the full stack of technological advancements that are shaping the AI economy."
It further acknowledged the need to address non-market practices that hinder innovation and fair competition, emphasizing the importance of coordination to protect private investment from overcapacity and unfair dumping practices. Additionally, the declaration underscored the need for cooperation on policies to safeguard sensitive technologies and critical infrastructure from "undue access, influence, or control."
The summit highlighted the importance of building and deploying "trusted" information networks, including ICT systems, fiberoptic cables, and data centers. Seoul's vice foreign minister reiterated the significance of cooperation across the global AI supply chain, including energy, critical minerals, manufacturing, AI infrastructure, and logistics. She also expressed South Korea's commitment to promoting supply chain stability by leveraging its strengths in batteries, semiconductors, and energy sectors.
The Pax Silica initiative emerges amid rising concerns over China's dominant control of critical minerals, such as rare earth elements, vital for military and electronic equipment manufacturing.