India, Dec. 14 -- Pax Silica - the name given to the US-led coalition of nations to fight off "coercive dependencies" in technology and manufacturing - is a coinage meant to spell out the group's intent as plainly as possible. It is a clear reference to the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the fundamental building block of which is the silicon chip. But it also evokes prompt juxtaposition with the idea of "Pax Sinica", or "a peaceful regional/global order led by China". China leveraged its export of critical minerals in its tariff stare-down with the US earlier this year. Pax Silica's focus on "trustworthy systems" for AI supply chains, energy inputs, critical minerals, manufacturing, and technological hardware makes ...