The Netherlands has joined Pax Silica, a new US-led strategic initiative aimed at securing critical technology supply chains across semiconductors, AI infrastructure and the minerals and energy systems that underpin them. Announced last week at a summit in Washington, the initiative is explicitly framed as a response to the “weaponization of interdependence,” seeking to bring like-minded economies into tighter alignment on economic security.
Although details remain limited, Pax Silica is seen as an extension of recent shifts in US national security strategy. The 2022 US National Security Strategy declared technological leadership as a national security imperative. It also called for a “rebalancing” against China. Pax Silica extends these goals to a multilateral level.
Launched by the US State Department and the National Security Council, the coalition of trusted tech and industrial partners comprises Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, Singapore and the UAE. The Netherlands is the only EU member to participate, reflecting the country’s geopolitical weight as the home base of ASML. Taiwan isn’t an official member, presumably because of Chinese claims on the island nation.
