The United States is seeking deals with eight allied countries as part of a new effort to strengthen supply chains for microchips and critical minerals needed for artificial intelligence technology, according to the State Department’s top economic affairs official. The initiative, which builds on efforts dating back to the first administration of President Donald Trump, comes at a time when the United States is seeking to reduce its dependence on China. It will begin with a meeting at the White House on Dec. 12 between the United States and its counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the UAE and Australia, Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic affairs, said in an interview. Helberg, a former consultant at Palantir Technologies, said the summit will focus on reaching agreements on energy, critical minerals, advanced chip manufacturing, artificial intelligence infrastructure and transportation logistics. He explained that the selection of these countries is due to reasons ranging from the fact that some of them are the headquarters of the most important semiconductor manufacturing companies in the world, and that some of them possess vital resources of necessary minerals. “It’s clear that right now in AI it’s a two-horse race: the United States and China,” Helberg said. “We want a positive and stable relationship with China, but we’re also willing to compete, and we want to make sure that our companies can continue to build transformative technology without being subject to forced adoption.” Critical Minerals Agreements and AI Competition The Helberg initiative builds on years of efforts related to critical minerals supply chains by previous administrations, primarily aimed at helping reduce the West’s reliance on China. During the first Trump administration, the State Department launched the US Energy Resources Governance Initiative with the goal of securing supply chains for essential minerals such as lithium and cobalt. The Joe Biden administration launched the Mineral Security Partnership, which aimed to direct foreign investment and Western expertise to the mining sectors of developing countries. However, the United States and other countries have not been able to break China’s dominance in rare earth resources. China owns more than 90% of the global capacity to refine rare earth elements and produce permanent magnets, compared with only 4% for second-place Malaysia, according to the International Energy Agency, an international government organization based in Paris. In early October, China announced a tightening of controls on the export of rare earth elements, before agreeing to a one-year suspension, following a meeting between Trump and President Xi Jinping. Also Read: China tightens restrictions on export of rare earth technologies. Focus on producing countries. Helberg said that his initiative, unlike the Biden-era initiative that included more than a dozen key countries, focuses on producing countries. While the first Trump administration initiative focused on rare earths, it preceded the release of artificial intelligence platforms such as “ChatGPT,” and the new plan focuses on all layers of technology related to artificial intelligence, not just one layer, according to Helberg. Helberg, 36, was a senior adviser to Palantir CEO Alex Karp and co-founded the Hill & Valley Forum, a gathering of US technology leaders and lawmakers focused on national security challenges, particularly those related to competition with China and the advancement of artificial intelligence and other technologies. Helberg said working with trusted allies on the AI ​​initiative is an “America-focused” strategy rather than a response to China. He added: “Participating countries recognize the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, whether on the size of a country’s economy or the strength of its military. They want to be part of the artificial intelligence boom.”