China pushes back as US urges countries to pick sides in AI race
US is preparing to tell dozens of countries to pick sides in the AI race with Beijing as per reports
China has responded to the United States efforts to create camps on leading the race in artificial intelligence.
On Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China is not willing to take slides and form camps on AI. Beijing also called for fostering requests for each country’s digital sovereignty instead of creating a global artificial intelligence divide.
"Each country has the right to choose its partners based on its national conditions and development needs," Lin said.
China’s response comes after an internal draft reviewed by Reuters mentioned that the US is preparing to tell dozens of countries to pick sides in the AI race with Beijing along with a warning that if they sign up for China’s competing framework, they would likely be excluded from the Washington-led coalition.
The State Department has drafted a letter to the 35 signatories of a US "AI Opportunity Statement" from June. This group includes members of the non-binding Pax Silica framework alongside other nations looking to align their artificial intelligence cooperation with Washington.
"To be part of everything is to be part of nothing. Signature of the Pax Silica Declaration is not merely a membership subscription, but a commitment," the letter reads, urging countries to "choose deliberately" on AI.
In the competitive tech landscape, both global superpowers are trying to gain dominance. For instance, in 2025 the US launched the Pax Silica initiative aimed at securing supply chains for AI models, critical minerals and semiconductors in a push to compete with Beijing.
In July, China also launched "World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization", promoting his country's open-weight technology as a challenge to US influence over the sector.
However, the State Department refused to comment on leaked internal documents.
