The Trump administration has formed a seven-country coalition to secure global AI and technology supply chains. According to Gizmodo, the United States, Israel, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the United Kingdom signed a declaration last month creating what officials call Pax Silica. The initiative aims to control everything from critical minerals and energy to semiconductors, AI infrastructure and logistics.
China’s Rare Earth Dominance Drives New Policy
China controls roughly 90 percent of the world’s rare earth elements. These materials are crucial for building computer chips used in smartphones and AI systems. Last year, China restricted rare earth exports in response to Trump’s tariff measures against Beijing. The move hit the global tech industry hard and gave China’s Xi Jinping an upper hand in trade talks.
Undersecretary of economic affairs Jacob Helberg told Reuters the program is meant to be an operational document for a new economic security consensus. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will reportedly join the framework this week. The Trump administration has also held discussions with the European Union, Canada and Taiwan about joining.
Four Pillars Shape Economic Security Strategy
Helberg outlined four pillars in a State Department press briefing. These include rebalancing trade, reindustrializing America, securing supply chains and stabilizing conflict zones through economic solutions. The strategy targets regions from sub-Saharan Africa to the Middle East.
Countering Belt and Road Initiative
The initiative takes aim at China’s Belt and Road project. That ambitious infrastructure investment program began roughly a decade ago to strengthen China’s trade ties and influence abroad. By aligning economic security approaches, member countries hope to block China’s ability to buy ports, major highways and logistics corridors, Helberg told Politico last month.
China has also called for a global AI cooperation organization centered in Shanghai. Chinese officials indicated last year they want to focus on open-source communities and joint research under Chinese terms and values. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent will reportedly push for reduced dependence on Chinese critical minerals this week as he hosts top finance officials from multiple countries.
The name Pax Silica references Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. That term describes a two-century period of political stability and economic prosperity in Ancient Rome. The empire doubled in size during that era and eventually included a quarter of the world’s population.
