Premier Wen's Message to Europe: No to G2, for Now

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attended the 11th China-Europe Summit in Prague to tell Europe that China is not interested in forming a "G2" with the US. He took the 10-hour flight to Europe and returned to Beijing the night of the same day.
　
This is the first time a Chinese leader has definitely come out in opposition to the idea of G2 raised by international analysts. "Some say that China and the US will jointly rule the world. This is wrong, and not reasonable at all," Wen told journalists.

Since 2008, talk of a "G2" has steadily appeared in the media, American and international. In July 2008, during the fourth Sino-US Economic Forum (SED), Fred Bergsten, director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, published an article in The Diplomat suggesting the SED should be developed into a G2 as the leader of the world economic order. He said China and the US should share the economic leadership, and China should partly replace the status of Europe.

Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, afterwards published an article supporting an economic G2. Although the US government has not directly broached the subject, US President Obama made a surprising statement at this year’s G20 summit in London that the US-China tie was the most important single bilateral relationship in the world.

Calls for a G2 have come as China's recent relationship with Europe has fallen to new lows. China's previous silence to the idea has worried Europeans, and some look on it as punishment. "G2" has become a pawn for China, to be downplayed when it wishes to warm the relationship a bit. Japan has long been sensitive to such a "special relationship" between China and the US.

But China also must consider the feelings of other non-western countries, those of India, Brazil, and Russia, in particular. China needs the support of these countries in its economy, markets, resources, and geostrategy. If China were to develop a G2 relation with the US it would do definite damage to its relationships with these countries.

China has shown no interest in joining the G8. And it worries that if it ties itself with the US, it may have to give up its traditional diplomatic policies. "China adheres to an independent foreign policy of peace, pursuing mutually beneficial, win-win strategies, and is willing to develop friendly cooperative relationships with all countries, and will never seek hegemony," said Premier Wen. "Groups of two countries can't solve global problems. Multi-polarism and multilateralism are the general trends and common aspirations of the people."

Chinese policy makers know that Europe has to look at a proposed G2 with complicated feelings. Europe does not want the US to boost China's international status too high as that would directly reduce Europe's influence. France in particular has expressed concern. The world also expects the rise of China to be different from that of other powers. G2 is at present a buzzing topic in Europe, and China’s statement that any G2 is against China's traditional international policy is reassuring.

Most of China's diplomatic decision makers and analysts are not anyway optimistic on G2. Some say that while Sino-US cooperation is possible and desirable, the likelihood of a G2 partnership is low in any foreseeable future. 

The Center for US-China Relations at Tsinghua University says in a report that America's promotion of G2 is a signal for adjustment in China's strategy, as this means the US no longer adheres to its conservative Cold War mentality which advocates curbing China, and shows progress in America's attitude towards China.

During the recent China-Europe summit, the two sides agreed to oppose trade and investment protectionism in any form. China agreed to send another sourcing delegation to Europe and increase imports from Europe, and hoped the Europe Union would loosen limits on high tech products China wishes to import, and cultivate new growth points for Sino-European economic and trade relations.