MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump calls meeting with Xi a “G2” summit, reviving idea of a two-power world order

“Trump’s mention of the ‘G2’ concept indicates that he acknowledges the equal position of China and the US,” said Jianlu Bi, a Beijing-based political analyst

US President Donald Trump described his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan as “historic,” calling it a “G2” summit — a term that suggests shared global leadership between Washington and Beijing.

“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!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth.

The expression “G2” drew immediate attention from international analysts, who see it as a signal of Trump’s recognition of China’s global influence, even as Beijing continues to promote multilateralism in world affairs.

“Trump’s mention of the ‘G2’ concept indicates that he acknowledges the equal position of China and the US,” said Jianlu Bi, a Beijing-based political analyst. “But China firmly safeguards multilateralism and advocates that global affairs should be jointly managed by the international community rather than dominated by two countries.”

The Busan meeting — the first between the two leaders since 2019 — produced agreements to reduce fentanyl-related tariffs and maintain the supply of critical rare earth minerals. Trump called the 100-minute dialogue “amazing,” describing Xi as “a tremendous leader of a very powerful country,” and announced plans to visit China in April.

I just spoke to President Trump, and we agree — the relationship between the United States and China has never been better. Following President Trump’s historic meeting with Chairman Xi in South Korea, I had an equally positive meeting with my counterpart, China’s Minister of…

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) November 1, 2025

Following the summit, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s message in a post on X, writing that “the relationship between the United States and China has never been better.” Hegseth revealed that he had also met with China’s Minister of National Defense, Admiral Dong Jun, in Malaysia, and that both sides agreed to establish “military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise.” His remarks were seen as an attempt to signal a thaw in military communication after years of high tension.

The “G2” phrasing marks a rhetorical shift for Trump, who during his first term pursued a confrontational approach toward Beijing. The meeting signals an attempt to cool tensions after years of trade disputes and technological decoupling between the world’s two largest economies.