Political changes in the West a challenge for Germany at G20 helm

So when German as president of G20 sets the group's agenda, it must bear in mind that several new leaders of G7 countries may appear in Hamburg and Buenos Aires, Argentina, which hosts the 2018 G20 summit. Such changes imply political risks.

It is imperative that Germany put political risk prevention high on the G20 agenda, especially those risks that threaten to spill over from the West to the rest of the world. Of course, these urgent issues should also be debated at the G7 forum when they meet in Italy in May.

Taking these factors into account, the next two years should be a period for the G20 to consolidate its aims rather than expand them. New leaders need to get familiar with the new tools of global governance before they inject their political will.

Trump, for example, is already reviewing the text of the Paris climate change agreement and will acquaint himself with the G7 and G20 mechanisms before he attends the G7 and G20 meetings in Italy and Germany.

That does not mean Germany and Argentina should not be ambitious. But they should also put high on their agenda efforts to unite the new leaders of rich countries and persuade them to maintain the momentum of engaging in active global governance.

If these goals are achieved, the relatively smooth progress and benefits won from previous years of global cooperation will not be disrupted, and the widely speculated phenomenon of reverse globalization, or de-globalization, will to some extent be checked.

If that happens, managing political risks in the West will be biggest success on Germany's G20 performance sheet.

The author is deputy chief of China Daily European Bureau. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn