In diplomacy, even short words matter. And with a brief Truth Social post, President Donald Trump may have revealed his approach to the U.S.-China relationship — to the delight of reputation-conscious Beijing but to the worries of U.S. allies concerned with China's ascending global power.

“The G2 WILL BE CONVENING SHORTLY!" Trump wrote moments before he headed into a widely watched summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Oct 30 in South Korea, reviving a phrase that dates to the early 2000s but had been rejected by Washington for at least the past decade — including during Trump's first term.

G2, or Group of Two, was first proposed by American economist C Fred Bergsten in 2005 to urge what he considered the necessity for the two major economies to talk to each other. It has come to imply a power equilibrium between the two nations — something that Beijing has long coveted as it ascended from regional powerhouse to pivotal global player.

But that equilibrium, and how China might approach it, stirs fears among U.S. allies and partners.

“The G2 concept implies that China and the United States are peers on the global stage and their positions should be given equal weight,” said Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

Trump's use of the once-discarded term has come at a time when observers and analysts, including those advising Beijing, are deciphering his administration's China policy, which has yet to crystallize in the face of a more assertive Chinese government.

To understand the term’s significance beyond diplomatic circles, it’s important to look into China’s past.

From the beginning of the 20th........

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