Jakarta. China has asked Indonesia to provide unflinching support for its WAICO club amid an intensifying artificial intelligence (AI) race with the US.

AI has now reached the negotiating tables, as seen in Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono’s high-level talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Jakarta on Friday. The meeting took place about a month after Jakarta was among the 29 nations that agreed to establish the WAICO. Short for the World AI Cooperation Organization, this is an initiative aimed at promoting global governance on this fast-evolving technology. It emerges as a countermove to Pax Silica, a US-led initiative meant to secure AI and semiconductor supply chains.

To the press, Wang highlighted the need to “expand existing cooperation into new productive powers like AI.”

“We must ensure the success of the newly formed WAICO," Wang said, speaking through an interpreter.

He did not elaborate further on WAICO. Just moments before Wang’s turn to address the press, Sugiono had said that both sides had agreed to “explore new mechanisms on AI”, without mentioning the alliance. 

Wang’s WAICO call came after Reuters reported a US draft letter in which Washington told partners to pick sides in the AI race. The letter was addressed to the 35 signatories of a US “AI Opportunity Statement”. This includes the now-WAICO member Kazakhstan.

Indonesia is not a signatory and has long stood by its “free and active” foreign policy of not aligning with a major power. When Jakarta first unveiled its WAICO membership, senior economic minister Airlangga Hartarto refused to frame the move as Jakarta siding with Beijing in the rivalry, while signaling Indonesia’s intention to join the Pax Silica. Indonesia produces nickel and copper, minerals used in advanced technologies.

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