In June the United States added 10 partners to the Pax Silica framework, reaching a total of 24, while weeks later 29 countries signed an agreement in Shanghai establishing the Chinese-led World AI Cooperation Organisation. Separate reports placed the United States ahead of China on AI model output and an innovation index, and documented Chinese dominance in antibiotic ingredient production. Perspectives differ on whether these developments represent supply-chain security, multilateral alternatives, or state centralization of technology.