Countries Hedge Between Rival U.S.- and China-Led AI Blocs
publishers 13articles 13first reported 25 Oct, 04:05 UTCdeveloping since 25 Oct · 7 editions
Countries are seeking ties with both the United States and China as the two powers promote competing international approaches to artificial intelligence, though experts say governments may eventually face pressure to choose between them.
The U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative focuses on strengthening AI supply chains and offers access to advanced chips, technological partnerships and high-tech manufacturing. China’s World AI Cooperation Organization promotes more affordable, open-source systems and a role for members in shaping AI standards.
Kazakhstan has joined both efforts. AI Minister Zhaslan Madiyev traveled to Washington in June to join the U.S. group, then attended a signing ceremony in Shanghai three weeks later that made Kazakhstan a founding member of the Chinese initiative alongside 28 other initial countries, including Pakistan and Russia.
“Everyone is hedging,” former Kazakh diplomat and Harvard center associate Dana Masalimova told Fortune. “We don’t want this binary choice.” She described Kazakhstan’s position as “very precarious.”
Kazakhstan has critical minerals used in AI development and relatively inexpensive electricity for data centers. Its government signed an investment agreement worth up to $10 billion involving Nvidia to develop a “data center valley.” Chinese investment is also increasing: local officials said Chinese foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan reached a record $2.8 billion in 2025. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met in July to expand cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative.
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Written from 6 articles, 1 with the publisher's own text; 6 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 18 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- This version written
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