Authored by James Xu via The Epoch Times,
The European Commission, Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands have joined the U.S.-led Pax Silica partnership, expanding a group focused on securing supply chains for artificial intelligence and other critical technologies.
The announcement came at a summit in Washington on June 23 hosted by the U.S. State Department. The partnership aims to strengthen cooperation on semiconductors, critical minerals, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg welcomed the new members.
"The European Union does not join Pax Silica as one more name on a list. It arrives as what it is: the largest single market on Earth," he said.
Helberg highlighted Germany's industrial base, Greece's shipping industry and strategic location, and the Netherlands' longstanding role in semiconductor equipment, where it has long been a key partner.
According to the U.S. State Department, members signed a declaration committing to "mutual prosperity, technological progress, and economic security." The agreement also calls for reducing excessive supply chain dependencies and building trusted technology ecosystems with private industry.
The European Union joined after EU member states authorized the European Commission to sign on behalf of the bloc.
Pax Silica was launched in Washington in December 2025. Founding members included Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Israel, among others. They signed the initial declaration to strengthen cooperation on technologies considered critical to future economic security.
The partnership has grown steadily since then. Members now also include Australia, India, the Philippines, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Taiwan has endorsed the initiative's principles through a separate joint statement but is not a formal signatory.
U.S. officials say the partnership is intended to build trusted supply chains among allies. The move forms part of broader U.S. efforts to reduce dependence on China for technologies such as advanced chips, critical minerals, and AI infrastructure.
China currently dominates global rare earth processing, accounting for roughly 80 to 90 percent of refined supply. It also holds a significant share of mining output for several key critical minerals used in electronics and renewable energy technologies.
In April, the United States and the Philippines announced plans for a 4,000-acre economic security zone in the Luzon Economic Corridor to support production for strategic supply chains under the partnership.
This zone is described by officials as the first AI-native industrial acceleration hub under Pax Silica.
Helberg said similar cooperation on critical minerals is under discussion with Kazakhstan, though no agreement has been announced. Such projects mark the initiative's move into practical application.
Further announcements on new members and projects are expected in the coming weeks.
Reuters contributed to this report.