The US-led PaxSilica alliance has expanded to 24 member countries, with 35 nations endorsing a joint statement on artificial intelligence, as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to build a global coalition centred on AI, advanced manufacturing, and economic security. The expansion was confirmed on 26 June by senior State Department officials.

What PaxSilica Is and How It Works

Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg described PaxSilica as a deliberately flexible partnership, designed to allow member countries to help shape its priorities rather than follow a top-down agenda. 'One of the benefits of PAX is that it remains very flexible, and it really is meant to be a two-way street between ourselves as well as all of our members,' Helberg said.

The alliance operates on two parallel tracks: delivering concrete, on-the-ground projects and fostering broader policy conversations on technology and economic security. Helberg emphasised that membership would continue to grow 'in a way that promotes the goals that we're trying to achieve — sensible approaches to broad policy conversations and tangible outcomes.'

Key Projects Already Under Way

Helberg cited three flagship initiatives as evidence of the alliance's practical orientation. First, PAX Pass — a $50 million foreign assistance package for Panama to deploy an AI-powered logistics platform. Second, the launch of Foundry School, developed in partnership with Stanford University, to build an advanced manufacturing curriculum eventually shared with leading higher-education institutions across the PaxSilica network. Third, an economic security zone in the Philippines aimed at accelerating industrial investment.

Helberg added that the Stanford collaboration would produce 'a world-class seminar on advanced manufacturing,' with plans to disseminate the curriculum broadly across partner-country universities.

Washington's View: AI as Opportunity, Not Risk

The Trump administration has framed artificial intelligence as an engine of economic growth rather than a technology requiring strict constraint — a posture that sets it apart from more cautious regulatory approaches gaining ground in the European Union and elsewhere. 'We view it as incredibly important that people appreciate that there's no ceiling to technology, that innovation means increased productivity and means a growing pie,' Helberg said.

He said the United States was 'incredibly motivated' to ensure the benefits of AI reach entrepreneurs and young people in partner countries, citing Kazakhstan, Argentina, and Costa Rica as examples of nations where new services, companies, and applications could emerge from access to these technologies.

Broader Strategic Context

Technology diplomacy and economic security have become central pillars of the Trump administration's foreign policy, with PaxSilica positioned as a vehicle to strengthen cooperation on critical technologies and resilient supply chains. This comes amid intensifying US-China competition over semiconductor supply chains and AI standards, with Washington seeking to anchor partner countries within a US-aligned technology ecosystem before global norms are set.

Notably, the alliance's membership count — 24 full members and 35 joint-statement signatories — suggests a two-tier structure, with the broader endorsement group serving as a pipeline for deeper integration. How quickly that second tier converts into full membership will be a key indicator of the initiative's momentum in the months ahead.