The Group of Two (G-2 or G2) is a hypothetical and an informal grouping made up of the United States and the People's Republic of China that was first proposed by C. Fred Bergsten and subsequently others.[1][2] While the original concept had a strong economic focus, more recent iterations have a more all-encompassing focus.[3] This is the result of the concept gaining more traction with members of the Obama administration and foreign policy establishment who came to recognize the increasing importance of the United States' relationship with China. Prominent advocates of the grouping include U.S. President Donald Trump, former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, historian Niall Ferguson, former World Bank President Robert Zoellick, and former chief economist Justin Yifu Lin.
As the two most influential and powerful countries in the world, there have been increasingly strong suggestions by American liberal politicians of creating a G-2 relationship where the United States and China would work out solutions to global problems together, and to prevent another cold war.[4] However, as strategic competition between the two powers has intensified, many have rejected the concept.[5][6]
History
The concept of a G-2 was first raised by noted economist C. Fred Bergsten in 2005.[3] In 2009, Bergsten made the following arguments for such a relationship:
- China will shortly pass Japan to become the world's second largest economy behind the United States;
- the two together accounted for almost one half of all global growth during the four-year boom prior to the crisis;
- they are the two largest economies;
- they are the two largest trading nations;
- they are the two largest polluters;
- they are on opposite ends of the world's largest trade and financial imbalance: the United States is the largest deficit and debtor country while China is the largest surplus country and holder of dollar reserves;
- they are the leaders of the two groups, the high-income industrialized countries and the emerging markets/developing nations, that each now account for about one half of global output.[7]
Zbigniew Brzezinski had been a vocal advocate for the concept. He publicly advanced the notion in Beijing in January 2009 as the two countries celebrated the 30th anniversary of establishing formal diplomatic ties.[8] He views the informal G-2 as helpful in finding solutions to the 2008 financial crisis, climate change (see Politics of climate change), North Korea's and Iran's nuclear programs, the Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, United Nations peacekeeping, nuclear proliferation and disarmament. He called the principle of "harmony" a "mission worthy of the two countries with the most extraordinary potential for shaping our collective future".[9][10]
Historian Niall Ferguson has also advocated the G-2 concept. He coined the term Chimerica to describe the symbiotic nature of the U.S.–China economic relationship.
Robert Zoellick, former president of the World Bank Group, and Justin Yifu Lin, the group's former chief economist and senior vice president, have stated that the G-2 is crucial for economic recovery and that the U.S. and China must work together. They state that "without a strong G-2, the G-20 will disappoint".[11]
While widely discussed, the concept of a G-2 has not been fully defined. According to Brzezinski, G-2 described the current realities, while for former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, a G-2 could emerge in the foreseeable future.[8] Miliband proposes EU integration as a means to create a potential G-3 that consists of the United States, China and the European Union.
Former President Barack Obama and former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been very supportive of good relations between the two countries and more cooperation on more issues more often. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has stated that U.S.–China relationship should be "taken to a new level". Some experts have disagreed with the effectiveness of a G-2.[12] However, Clinton has said that there is no G-2.[13]
In 2023, it was reported by Nikkei Asia that General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping drew on the idea of G-2 as a way to manage his country's relations with the U.S.[6]
On October 30, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to a meeting between him and Xi as the G-2, posting "THE G2 WILL BE CONVENING SHORTLY!".[14] On November 1, 2025, Trump posted "My G2 meeting with President Xi of China was a great one for both of our countries. This meeting will lead to everlasting peace and success. God bless both China and the USA!"[15] On the same day, United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted "As President Trump said, his historic 'G2 meeting' set the tone for everlasting peace and success for the U.S. and China."[16]
Current leaders
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See also
References
- ^ Loungani, Prakash (March 2012). "An American Globalist". Finance & Development. 49 (1): 5. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
- ^ Bergsten, C. Fred (July–August 2008). "A Partnership of Equals: How Washington Should Respond to China's Economic Challenge". Foreign Affairs. Vol. 87, no. 4. pp. 57–69. JSTOR 20032716. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Bergsten, C. Fred (September–October 2009). "Two's Company". Foreign Affairs. Vol. 88, no. 5. pp. 169–170. JSTOR 20699703. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
- ^ Kampf, David (May 14, 2009). "Viewpoints: Moving the G-2 Forward". Foreign Policy Association. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
- ^ Zhao, Minghao (Autumn 2019). "Is a New Cold War Inevitable? Chinese Perspectives on US–China Strategic Competition". The Chinese Journal of International Politics. 12 (3): 371–394. doi:10.1093/cjip/poz010. JSTOR 48615750.
- ^ a b Nakazawa, Katsuji (June 22, 2023). "Analysis: After a decade, Xi floats 'G2' world with U.S. again". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Bergsten, C. Fred (September 10, 2009). "Testimony: The United States–China Economic Relationship and the Strategic and Economic Dialogue". Peterson Institute for International Economics. Archived from the original on September 12, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
- ^ a b Jian, Junbo (May 29, 2009). "China says 'no thanks' to G-2". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
- ^ Wong, Edward (January 2, 2009). "Former Carter adviser calls for a 'G-2' between U.S. and China". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
- ^ Brzezinski, Zbigniew (January 13, 2009). "The Group of Two that could change the world". Financial Times. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Zoellick, Robert B.; Lin, Justin Yifu (March 6, 2009). "Recovery: A Job for China and the U.S." The Washington Post. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
- ^ Economy, Elizabeth C.; Segal, Adam (May–June 2009). "The G-2 Mirage: Why the United States and China Are Not Ready to Upgrade Ties". Foreign Affairs. Vol. 88, no. 3. pp. 14–23. JSTOR 20699560. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Landler, Mark (January 14, 2011). "U.S. Is Not Trying to Contain China, Clinton Says". The New York Times. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ Jett, Jennifer; Guo, Peter (October 30, 2025). "Trump arrives in Busan for meeting with Xi". NBC News. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
- ^ "Trump-Xi deal: China to suspend some rare earth curbs, probes on chip firms, US says". South China Morning Post. Bloomberg News. November 2, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
- ^ Jeong, Audry (November 2, 2025). "US and China agree to open up military-to-military communication channels, Hegseth says". CNN. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
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