US and China leaders meet to discuss potential G2 alliance

US President Donald Trump Arrives in Beijing for Summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping

A two-day summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to take place in Beijing on Wednesday, marking their first face-to-face talks since a trade war truce was reached six months ago. The summit has been delayed from March due to the US-Israeli conflict over Iran.

Trump’s visit comes as he seeks a foreign policy win amid growing dissatisfaction at home over the latest Middle East developments. China-US ties have also been strained by the conflict, which has affected Beijing’s economy. Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Washington’s competing blockade of Iranian ports have left Chinese ships stranded and impacted China’s crude oil imports.

Trump is expected to renew calls for China to join an international operation to open the Strait of Hormuz, a proposal that Beijing has so far resisted. Xi Jinping is likely to focus on pressing issues such as trade, rare-earth minerals, and US recognition of China’s rights over self-ruling Taiwan.

The concept of a “Group of Two” (G2) between China and the US has been revived during Trump’s visit. The idea was originally proposed by economist C Fred Bergsten in 2005, suggesting that the world’s two largest economies should share responsibility for stabilizing global markets and tackling global concerns. The Obama administration established the Strategic and Economic Dialogue with Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2009 to promote US-China relations.

Experts say the Trump-Xi summit is not necessarily a G2, but rather “strategic reconnaissance”. Both leaders are trying to understand each other’s positions and test boundaries before reaching a stable agreement. Negotiations on trade, technology, governance, and security issues will likely focus on finding a balance between competition and cooperation.

Source: Al Jazeera