Following the Xi-Trump summit, is the G2 back on track?

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s high-level meeting with US President Donald Trump in Busan, South Korea, sends a positive signal for China-US relations.

Before the meeting, Trump posted on social media: “THE G2 WILL BE CONVENING SHORTLY!” The concept of a Group of Two (G2) refers to China and the United States collaborating to address global challenges. This idea was proposed in the 2000s by economist Fred Bergsten and touted by former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Over the years, as the US has framed its China policy within the context of great power competition, the term G2 has gradually fallen out of use. When discussing US-China relations, American strategists have treated a hardline stance towards China as a form of political correctness, avoiding rhetoric based on cooperation.

As a politician inclined to break with convention, Trump’s statements regarding China reveal novel perspectives. Trump’s mention of the G2 shouldn’t be overstated, but it is important to recognise that the US president values great power coordination. In late July, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that US-China relations are entering a new phase of “strategic stability”.

Beijing is seeking to leverage the Trump administration’s evolving approach to international affairs and shifting preferences to stabilise China-US relations. Good foreign policy starts at home, and both Xi and Trump are more focused on internal affairs. Xi’s reference to “Make America Great Again” (Maga) during the meeting reflects Beijing’s desire to shape common ground between China and the US.

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Trump’s Maga slogan may resonate with the Communist Party’s call for the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”. Beijing aims to seek convergence between Trump’s Maga and its own “make China great again” agenda. As Xi said, “China and the United States should be partners and friends”. He noted that this is what history has taught us and what the current moment calls for.

South China Morning Post