China, Germany step up as US retires from world leadership

When world leaders convene in Hamburg this Friday for the G20 summit, China and Germany will take the lead role traditionally held by the United States in at least one area: climate change.

The United States found itself in the minority when it comes to taking action on climate change; at the May Group of Seven summit in Italy, it was outnumbered six-to-one on the issue.

And this time may be worse, says Bloomberg News: “When world leaders meet in Hamburg on Friday, China and Germany will move in to usurp the US’s role.” Trump risks finding himself alone against a united front of European allies, Canada, Mexico and two former Cold War foes when it comes to two of the summit’s biggest items—climate change and free trade. “China and Germany’s new closeness is something that happened because of the Trump episode,” said Diego Ramiro Guelar, ambassador to China for G20 member Argentina. “The two most important leaders in the world are President Xi and Chancellor Merkel at the moment.”

The Paris Agreement was signed by nearly the entire world—190 nations. A bilateral China-Germany working group on climate change met in Berlin last week, during which each side recommitted to take an “ambitious” approach to implementing the Paris Agreement and to press for a collective approach in Hamburg.