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Group of Two
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 first proposed by C. Fred Bergsten. As the concept gained 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, its original economic focus became more all-encompassing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has become a vocal proponent of the G-2 concept during his current second term. Other prominent advocates of the grouping have included former national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, historian Niall Ferguson, former World Bank president Robert Zoellick, and former chief economist Justin Yifu Lin.
There have been increasingly strong suggestions by American liberal politicians in creating a G-2 relationship to work out solutions to global problems, and prevent another cold war. However, as strategic competition between the two powers has intensified, some have also rejected the concept. As of 2026, these two countries collectively comprise about 42% of the global economy by GDP (nominal) and 34% by GDP at purchasing power parity.
The concept of a G-2 was first raised by noted economist C. Fred Bergsten in 2005. In 2009, Bergsten made the following arguments for such a relationship:
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. 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".
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".
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. Miliband proposes EU integration as a means to create a potential G-3 that consists of the United States, China and the European Union.
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Group of Two
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 first proposed by C. Fred Bergsten. As the concept gained 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, its original economic focus became more all-encompassing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has become a vocal proponent of the G-2 concept during his current second term. Other prominent advocates of the grouping have included former national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, historian Niall Ferguson, former World Bank president Robert Zoellick, and former chief economist Justin Yifu Lin.
There have been increasingly strong suggestions by American liberal politicians in creating a G-2 relationship to work out solutions to global problems, and prevent another cold war. However, as strategic competition between the two powers has intensified, some have also rejected the concept. As of 2026, these two countries collectively comprise about 42% of the global economy by GDP (nominal) and 34% by GDP at purchasing power parity.
The concept of a G-2 was first raised by noted economist C. Fred Bergsten in 2005. In 2009, Bergsten made the following arguments for such a relationship:
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. 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".
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".
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. Miliband proposes EU integration as a means to create a potential G-3 that consists of the United States, China and the European Union.