China United States Trump Xi G2.

President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands after their U.S.-China summit meeting at Gimhae International Airport Jinping in Busan, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

G2 or not G2: Trump’s new favorite term for US-China relations carries a lot of history’s baggage

President Donald Trump has suggested his outlook to the U.S.-China relationship with a six-word post on Truth Social. He mentioned the “G2,” a term suggesting equal power between the U.S. and China, before a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Oct. 30 in Busan, South Korea. This term, first proposed in 2005, has come to imply a power balance that Beijing desires. Experts say this could delight China but worry U.S. allies, especially those in the Indo-Pacific region. Chinese commentators noted the term’s use, suggesting a move toward a bipolar world. The concept was once explored but later discredited by Washington.

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