US and China form rival AI blocs as countries hedge between them

The US is building the Pax Silica bloc around access to advanced chips, while China's World AI Cooperation Organization counts 29 founding countries including Russia and Pakistan. Kazakhstan joined both, and Indonesia and Singapore are weighing the Chinese initiative while keeping US ties.

• Kazakhstan joined both Pax Silica and China's WAICO with 29 founding countries
• Chinese FDI in Kazakhstan hit a record $2.8 billion in 2025
• Kazakhstan signed a deal worth up to $10 billion with Nvidia for data centers
• US State Department: Pax Silica partners cannot advance a rival AI vision