{"id":660408,"date":"2026-08-30T23:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T23:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=660408"},"modified":"2026-08-30T23:50:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T23:50:00","slug":"central-asia-resists-us-pressure-to-choose-sides-in-ai-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=660408","title":{"rendered":"Central Asia Resists US Pressure To Choose Sides In AI Race"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden\">Central Asia Resists US Pressure To Choose Sides In AI Race<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item\">\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/oilprice.com\/Energy\/Energy-General\/Central-Asia-Resists-US-Pressure-to-Choose-Sides-in-AI-Race.html\">Authored by Eurasianet via OilPrice<\/a>,<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Kazakhstan is continuing to expand AI cooperation with China even after joining the US-led Pax Silica initiative.<\/li>\n<li>Uzbekistan says it wants access to both cutting-edge American technology and lower-cost Chinese AI models rather than choosing between them.<\/li>\n<li>Their positions illustrate the difficulty Washington faces in persuading Central Asian governments to take sides in the intensifying US-China technology rivalry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are tossing figurative darts at a US trial balloon connected to the intensifying race between the United States and China for leadership in AI development.<\/p>\n<p><a data-image-external-href=\"\" data-image-href=\"\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/2026-08-26_zkxpxvt5f0_80.jpg?itok=uedJAtQM\" data-link-option=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/2026-08-26_zkxpxvt5f0_80.jpg?itok=uedJAtQM\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"26dc159b-7852-4940-be4c-23747d11aeca\" data-responsive-image-style=\"inline_images\" height=\"209\" width=\"500\" class=\"inline-images image-style-inline-images\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/2026-08-26_zkxpxvt5f0_80.jpg?itok=uedJAtQM\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Reuters reported on August 14 that the US State Department had <a href=\"https:\/\/eurasianet.org\/news-analysis-kazakhstan-in-pickle-created-by-us-china-ai-race\">drafted a note<\/a> stating that any nation interested in widening access to advanced American know-how and technology in the AI sector under a program known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/pax-silica\">Pax Silica<\/a> must refrain from participating in a rival Chinese initiative known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/eurasianet.org\/central-asian-states-following-chinas-lead-on-ai\">World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization<\/a> (WAICO).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kazakhstan is a member of both Pax Silica and WAICO<\/strong>, while Uzbekistan is a signatory to the Chinese initiative while expressing keen interest in expanding cooperation with the United States in AI development. More broadly, the United States has <a href=\"https:\/\/eurasianet.org\/the-us-central-asia-summit-the-end-of-the-beginning\">taken steps<\/a> over the past 18 months to expand economic ties with all five Central Asian states.<\/p>\n<p>Actions and statements by Kazakh and Uzbek officials since news of the draft State Department note began circulating indicate that <strong>both states are disinclined to adhere to what amounts to an American demand.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Kazakh officials have not publicly commented on the issue of the country&#8217;s participation in both Pax Silica and WAICO, but recent developments suggest Astana is intent on maintaining close contacts with China in the AI sphere.<\/p>\n<p>On August 18, experts from the countries&#8217; respective academies of sciences <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.kz\/memleket\/entities\/sci\/press\/news\/details\/1277363?lang=ru\">agreed<\/a> to jointly develop a science-focused AI platform to analyze &#8220;scientific literature and large data sets, identifying patterns, formulating and testing hypotheses, modeling complex processes, planning experiments, and predicting results,&#8221; according to a Kazakh government statement. The Kazakhstan and China are also working on an AI initiative called DeepBas, which aims to develop &#8220;specialized models&#8221; enabling the more efficient management of water resources.<\/p>\n<p>Exchange programs are likewise proceeding. Kazakh engineers from the national space company recently participated in a <a href=\"https:\/\/dknews.kz\/ru\/shelkovyy-put\/401748-inzhenery-kazahstana-izuchili-v-kitae-ii-dlya\">training program<\/a> in China on using AI to analyze satellite data to improve natural disaster early warning capabilities. In addition, at a recent<a href=\"https:\/\/dknews.kz\/ru\/shelkovyy-put\/401306-kazahstan-i-kitay-rasshiryayut-sotrudnichestvo-v\"> symposium<\/a> in Almaty, Chinese and Kazakh researchers discussed AI applications in medicine and agriculture, as well as joint research and training for young AI specialists.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Uzbekistan has perhaps been more direct in addressing the brewing AI issue.<\/strong> Speaking at a technology forum in Tashkent on August 24, Bobur Khodjaev, an aide to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, issued what could be considered a veiled plea for the US to abandon an &#8220;us-or-them&#8221; stance on AI development. He also stated that Uzbek officials would continue to opt for the best available AI solutions, regardless of national origin. <strong>He acknowledged that American tech may be superior but also stressed that China offered more affordable options.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As a developing country, we want to have access to all available technologies,&#8221; Gazeta.uz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gazeta.uz\/ru\/2026\/08\/24\/ai-uzbekistan\/\">quoted<\/a> Khodjaev as saying. &#8220;Specifically referring to the US and China, obviously American tech companies offer cutting-edge AI chips and AI models. China, in turn, offers open-source models that are significantly cheaper than American ones. And we would like to have access to both.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are open to collaboration with all partners and interested parties and strive to implement artificial intelligence technologies not only in finance but in all areas of our economy,&#8221; Khodjaev added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>      <span class=\"field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden\"><a title=\"View user profile.\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/users\/tyler-durden\" lang=\"\" class=\"username\" xml:lang=\"\">Tyler Durden<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden\">Sun, 08\/30\/2026 &#8211; 19:50<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/2026-08-26_zkxpxvt5f0_80.jpg?itok=uedJAtQM\" title=\"Central Asia Resists US Pressure To Choose Sides In AI Race\" \/><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Central Asia Resists US Pressure To Choose Sides In AI Race Authored by Eurasianet via OilPrice, Kazakhstan is continuing to expand AI cooperation with China even after joining the US-led Pax Silica initiative. Uzbekistan says it wants access to both cutting-edge American technology and lower-cost Chinese AI models rather than choosing between them. Their positions&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=660408\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Central Asia Resists US Pressure To Choose Sides In AI Race<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":660409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,22,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-660408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-border-security","category-immigration","category-immigration-reform","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=660408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/660409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=660408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=660408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=660408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}