US Leads Global Coalition to Secure Silicon Supply Chain Amid Rising China Influence
The Trump administration is spearheading a global initiative, dubbed "Pax Silica" or Latin for Roman Peace, aimed at securing the world's silicon supply chain and countering China's growing influence in the tech sector. The effort involves six countries – Israel, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the United Kingdom – forming a coalition to safeguard the flow of critical minerals, energy, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and logistics.
The initiative is designed to be an operational document for a new economic security consensus, with the US undersecretary of economic affairs Jacob Helberg stating that partnering on strategic stacks of the global technology supply chain can help block China's Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to amplify its export-led model by acquiring ports, major highways, transportation corridors.
China controls approximately 90% of the world's rare earth elements, crucial for building computer chips used in smartphones and AI systems. The country leveraged this power last year by clamping down on rare earth exports in response to US tariff measures against Beijing, gaining an upper hand in trade talks with President Trump.
The Trump administration is pushing for reduced dependence on Chinese critical minerals, a move Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will reportedly emphasize as he hosts top finance officials from the EU, Canada, Japan, the UK, Australia, India, Mexico, and South Korea this week. China's expansion into key infrastructure, tech, and AI has raised concerns among Western nations, which are now seeking to forge alliances to counter Beijing's growing influence.
The Pax Silica initiative is modeled after Pax Romana, a two-century-long period of relative stability and economic prosperity in Ancient Rome. While the primary goal is to secure the AI supply chain dominated by China, the program also aims to rebalance trade, reindustrialize America, secure supply chains, and stabilize conflict zones through economic solutions.
The inclusion of Qatar and the UAE in this coalition has raised eyebrows due to their complex relationships with Israel and other regional actors. The two nations have normalized ties with Israel under Trump's Abraham Accords but face challenges from ongoing conflicts in Gaza and limited diplomatic relations with Israel. Nevertheless, their participation highlights the Trump administration's efforts to build a broad-based coalition to counter China's growing influence in the global tech sector.
The Trump administration is spearheading a global initiative, dubbed "Pax Silica" or Latin for Roman Peace, aimed at securing the world's silicon supply chain and countering China's growing influence in the tech sector. The effort involves six countries – Israel, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the United Kingdom – forming a coalition to safeguard the flow of critical minerals, energy, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and logistics.
The initiative is designed to be an operational document for a new economic security consensus, with the US undersecretary of economic affairs Jacob Helberg stating that partnering on strategic stacks of the global technology supply chain can help block China's Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to amplify its export-led model by acquiring ports, major highways, transportation corridors.
China controls approximately 90% of the world's rare earth elements, crucial for building computer chips used in smartphones and AI systems. The country leveraged this power last year by clamping down on rare earth exports in response to US tariff measures against Beijing, gaining an upper hand in trade talks with President Trump.
The Trump administration is pushing for reduced dependence on Chinese critical minerals, a move Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will reportedly emphasize as he hosts top finance officials from the EU, Canada, Japan, the UK, Australia, India, Mexico, and South Korea this week. China's expansion into key infrastructure, tech, and AI has raised concerns among Western nations, which are now seeking to forge alliances to counter Beijing's growing influence.
The Pax Silica initiative is modeled after Pax Romana, a two-century-long period of relative stability and economic prosperity in Ancient Rome. While the primary goal is to secure the AI supply chain dominated by China, the program also aims to rebalance trade, reindustrialize America, secure supply chains, and stabilize conflict zones through economic solutions.
The inclusion of Qatar and the UAE in this coalition has raised eyebrows due to their complex relationships with Israel and other regional actors. The two nations have normalized ties with Israel under Trump's Abraham Accords but face challenges from ongoing conflicts in Gaza and limited diplomatic relations with Israel. Nevertheless, their participation highlights the Trump administration's efforts to build a broad-based coalition to counter China's growing influence in the global tech sector.