《TAIPEI TIMES》 Delegation to attend Pax Silica

The logo of the US Department of State in Washington is pictured on March 8 last year. Photo: CNA

By Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNA Taiwan is to attend the Pax Silica Summit, held by the US Department of State today and tomorrow in Washington, as a non-signatory participant, a US department spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Further details about Taiwan’s delegation would be announced during the summit, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office （TECRO） in the US said.

Pax Silica is the US Department of State’s initiative to secure supply chains for critical minerals, semiconductors and strategic technologies in the era of artificial intelligence （AI）, working to improve economic security through trusted technology partnerships.

It acts as a platform for governments and industry to coordinate investment, align market incentives and accelerate the development of strategic industries critical to the AI economy, the department said.

The initiative was launched last year and held an inaugural summit on Dec. 12, with Taiwan in attendance as a guest contributor.

Taiwan “contributed a great deal to the meeting,” US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said after the summit last year.

The Pax Silica declaration has 16 signatory partners, including Australia, India, South Korea and the UK, while Taiwan serves as a non-signatory participant.

This year’s summit, hosted by Helberg, is to include a signing ceremony for new Pax Silica partners, including the EU, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands.

The Netherlands yesterday joined the initiative as its 16th partner.

“We are deciding who we trust to build our chips, power our AI, and secure the technologies that will define the future,” Helberg said on social media yesterday.

Taiwan endorsed the Pax Silica declaration principles via the Joint Statement on the Pax Silica Declaration and US-Taiwan Economic Security Cooperation signed on Jan. 27.

The statement was signed by the American Institute in Taiwan and TECRO, with the US Department of State and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES