Pax Silica: Inside the Trump Administration’s Tech Strategy with US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg

Pax Silica functions as an economic security coalition involving 14 nations, designed to secure AI supply chains through an ecosystem-based approach rather than government-operated infrastructure. Jacob Helberg, Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs, details the "Forward Deployed Industrial Base" in the Philippines, which utilizes 4,000 acres of diplomatic property to integrate American legal frameworks with local industrial advantages. Unlike China’s state-led Belt and Road Initiative, which often relies on debt-heavy, government-run projects, this strategy prioritizes private sector collaboration and commercial viability to foster long-term, mutually beneficial growth. By leveraging venture capital insights and focusing on critical inputs like robotics and rare earth processing, the administration aims to re-industrialize domestic production while diversifying global supply chains to reduce reliance on China, ultimately positioning American innovation as the primary driver of economic security.