Wang huiyao: How a ‘G3’ mechanism could reset US-China-EU relations and tackle global challenges

SCMP | August 23 , 2022

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From SCMP， 2022-8-23

 

■ The EU is in a position to play a mediating role between the US and China, with all three coming to the table for regular high-level dialogue.

■ Such a platform could start with urgent but non-contentious issues – global food security, climate change and infrastructure development.

Illustration: Craig Stephens

By Wang Huiyao | Founder of the Center for China and Globalization(CCG)

During the past two years, in-person academic exchange between China and Europe has ground to a halt because of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel in and out of China.

To make a start in reviving these interactions, a delegation from the Centre for China and Globalisation visited Paris, Berlin and Brussels earlier this month. During the trip, we attended seminars and met representatives from think tanks and government agencies.

It was the first trip to Europe by a Chinese think tank delegation since the pandemic began and part of a global engagement tour that also took us to New York, Washington, Seoul and Singapore. My last visit to Europe was for the Munich Security Conference in February 2020, which turned out to be one of the last major gatherings of global policymakers before cross-border travel ceased because of the pandemic.

Since then, Europe’s political landscape and views of China have shifted significantly. Angela Merkel, who for 16 years as German chancellor was Europe’s leading proponent of stronger ties with China, has left the scene. Her replacement Olaf Scholz and the coalition government he leads seem determined to pursue a harder line on China.

The issue of human rights in Xinjiang has also become more contentious and led the European Union and China to impose sanctions on each other. These sanctions are up for renewal this year and we hope both sides can find a way to drop them.

The war in Ukraine was a dominant topic of our discussions. Across Europe, it has caused a rethink of foreign policy and further soured perceptions of China, given the widely held view that Beijing has not done enough to oppose Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

While we were in Europe, the French and German governments appeared to be moving towards taking a stronger stance on China. Across the channel, the unfolding contest to become Britain’s next prime minister has seen the two remaining candidates trying to outdo each other on who can be the toughest on China.

Despite these hardening views, the think tanks, foundations and EU officials we met were keen to rekindle engagement with China and expressed a desire for closer cooperation on shared interests. After all, China remains the EU’s largest trading partner and is seen as an important player on global challenges such as climate change and reforming multilateralism.

Although Europe is preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, the question of how to recalibrate ties with Beijing and navigate the increasingly complex China-US relationship remains a crucial question for EU policymakers. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has emerged as one of the EU’s leading voices in the post-Merkel era, has spoken of the need for the EU to be a “balancing power”.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent reinvigoration of Nato is a serious challenge to hopes for EU “strategic autonomy”. Yet, in this age of multiplying crises, the need for the EU to come into its own as an influential geopolitical player to promote international peace and cooperation has never been greater.

China, the EU and the United States are the world’s three most powerful political and economic players, together accounting for around 60 per cent of global gross domestic product. At present, global cooperation is hamstrung by tensions between China and the US, but the EU could be the one power able to play a mediating role between the two.

If these three parties can come to the table, they have the clout to address current economic challenges and galvanise collective action on threats such as climate change and the pandemic and spur reform of global governance. That is why, in recent meetings with European counterparts, we emphasised the concept of a “G3” mechanism that brings together China, the EU and the US for regular high-level dialogue and coordination.

To get the ball rolling, the G3 could start with urgent but less contentious issues. Tackling the current global food security crisis is a promising area to find common ground. These efforts could build on the agreement reached by China and the EU to maintain stability in the global supply chain, including by discussing how to increase transparency and exchange information on the supply of certain critical raw materials and other products.

Amid this summer’s heatwaves, climate change stands out as a clear area for long-term G3 cooperation. China, the EU and the US account for around 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume nearly half the world’s energy.

Together, they have the critical mass to drive the global climate agenda forward and influence economic pathways – and therefore emissions trajectories – far beyond their borders. One area to work on would be developing a common framework for green finance and supporting decarbonisation projects in other countries.

On that note, the G3 could also serve as a forum to achieve some degree of coordination on global infrastructure development between the Belt and Road Initiative, the EU’s Global Gateway and the new Group of Seven Partnership on Global Infrastructure and Investment. If investments under these initiatives are uncoordinated and shaped by geopolitical competition, there is a danger they could lock countries into high-carbon paths for decades to come.

Talking to colleagues in Europe, there was a shared concern over an emerging dynamic that threatens to cleave the world into competing spheres. Getting China, the EU and the US to sit down and talk will take bold efforts in the current climate. But if we want a 21st century that is stable and sustainable, the G3 would be a good place to start.

From SCMP， 2022-8-23