It’s deeply ironic, then, that just as China was bullying the Philippines, Chinese leader Xi Jinping was wooing developing nations at the World AI Conference in Shanghai as part of Beijing’s bid to establish its global AI leadership. China has shown little desire to share the rich resources of the South China Sea, blocking undersea oil and gas prospecting by neighboring states, enforcing seasonal fishing bans, and endangering the marine ecosystem by dredging vast artificial islands. ADAs in the maritime domain, AI governance is becoming the new frontier of a Cold War-style contest between China and the US, which both sides see as critical to their national security and prosperity. For its part, the US is forging “Pax Silica,” an alignment dominated by advanced economies to secure semiconductor, critical mineral, and AI supply chains. That geopolitical reality will limit the success of US-China talks on AI next month ahead of a presidential summit in Washington, DC.