TheGroup of Two (G-2 orG2) is a hypothetical and an informal grouping made up of theUnited States of America and thePeople's Republic of China that was first proposed byC. 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 theObama administration and foreign policy establishment who came to recognize the increasing importance of theUnited States' relationship with China. Prominent advocates of the grouping include U.S. PresidentDonald Trump, formerNational Security AdvisorZbigniew Brzezinski, historianNiall Ferguson, former World Bank PresidentRobert Zoellick, and former chief economistJustin Yifu Lin.
As the two most influential and powerful countries in the world, there have been increasingly strong suggestions byAmerican liberal politicians of creating a G-2 relationship where the United States and China would work out solutions to global problems together, and to preventanother cold war.[4] However, asstrategic competition between the two powers has intensified, many have rejected the concept.[5][6]
The concept of a G-2 was first raised by noted economistC. 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 inBeijing 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 the2008 financial crisis,climate change (seePolitics of climate change),North Korea's andIran's nuclear programs, theIndo-Pakistani wars and conflicts, theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict,United Nations peacekeeping,nuclear proliferation anddisarmament. 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]
HistorianNiall Ferguson has also advocated the G-2 concept. He coined the termChimerica to describe the symbiotic nature of the U.S.–China economic relationship.
Robert Zoellick, former president of theWorld Bank Group, andJustin 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, theG-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 SecretaryDavid Miliband, a G-2 could emerge in the foreseeable future.[8] Miliband proposesEU integration as a means to create a potential G-3 that consists of the United States, China and theEuropean Union.
Former PresidentBarack Obama and formerUnited States Secretary of StateHillary Clinton have been very supportive of good relations between the two countries and more cooperation on more issues more often. Former Secretary of StateHenry 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 byNikkei Asia thatGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyXi 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. PresidentDonald 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 DefensePete 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]
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