Key facts
- Trump is expected to urge Southeast Asian leaders at the Asean summit to sign up for Pax Silica, per people familiar with the matter.
- The Asean summit in Manila runs from November 16 to 18, 2026, and Trump plans to meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
- The State Department described Pax Silica as its flagship effort on super intelligence and supply chain security, per a memo cited by Newsweek.
- The initiative involves more than 20 allies and covers semiconductors, chip manufacturing and mineral production, the State Department memo said.
- Philippine groups including GABRIELA and the UP SAPAX network planned protests against the pact and Trump's visit, Newsweek reported.
US President Donald Trump will press Southeast Asian economies to join Pax Silica, his campaign to keep AI and chip supply chains out of China's reach, when he attends the Asean summit in Manila, according to people familiar with the matter cited in a report published November 13, 2026. Artificial intelligence and critical minerals will top his agenda at the November 16-18 gathering, his first trip abroad since his party's midterm defeats.
The State Department launched Pax Silica in December 2025, describing it in a memo as its flagship effort on super intelligence and supply chain security. The initiative aims to build an economic security consensus among allies and trusted partners, covering semiconductors, chip manufacturing and mineral production, and involves more than 20 allies, the memo said. Newsweek reported that Trump plans to meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the visit.
The pact has drawn opposition in the Philippines. Grassroots organizations staged protests in Philippine cities in July, August and September 2026, and student groups demonstrated earlier in the week of November 9 against US investment in AI data centers, Newsweek reported. GABRIELA, a political organization for women in the Philippines, protested Trump's visit and the proposed pact, with posters reading "Shut the Pax Down" and "Philippines Not For Sale." The University of the Philippines student network UP SAPAX said the university must not become a passive participant in foreign-controlled strategic industries.