欧盟新"总统"和"外相"将带来什么?

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When it comes to global talking shops with a G or group attached to a number, the G8 is taking a back seat to the G20. As the world's biggest industrialized nations have joined with among others the fast growing BRIC countries, that's Brazil, India, and China.

The more that China and the United States will be able to work cooperatively on a whole range of issues...

This week's meetings between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao have strengthened talk of a so called G2. But what about the European Union?

The moment suits neither China nor the US to try to run the world as a G2. The Americans think well actually, you know, the Chinese are an authoritarian power, it'll be quite helpful to have another big set of democracies like the European Union or India at the table.

After all, the EU has half a billion consumers and an economy much bigger than that of China. China's per capita GDP ranks below countries like Algeria and Turkmenistan. Is it not time to see the G2 as the US and the EU, or perhaps a G3? Commentators say EU foreign policy will make that hard to achieve.

You saw that over Iraq, you saw that over the Balkans. And so no matter how much they may say in theory, yah, yah, we wanna be united, we wanna be the G3 with China and the US. When their national interests are at stake, they tend to go their own ways.

And all the G20 talk in the next few weeks will be about climate change where the EU has one voice, but it’s not a big player.

Climate change, if one was looking at that, I think the big deal is to be done between the US and China, to be honest there. But Europe has tried at least rhetorically to push the debate.

But now Europe is on the brink of anointing a full-time President of the Council plus a de facto Foreign Minister. Still skeptics say that won't increase Europe's influence yet.

If people were looking to this on Thursday as a beginning of a new kind of clarity on where the EU's stands on international issues, they will be very disappointed. In fact, they may even be more confused. You are having an EU President, an EU Foreign Minister, a President of Commission, and not to mention, of course, the 27 heads of state.

A void perhaps being filled by China, since its ongoing purchase of US treasury bonds have fuelled the US economic stimulus package. But that doesn't necessarily translate to more power in many minds.

I don't think China gets the leverage that people suggest out of this. I think they are dealing with, or buying treasuries ‘cause it's in their interests.

So Europe might be taking a step closer to a G3 to become a global counterweight.
Jim Boulden, cnn, London.

Glossary:

talking shop: (BrE, disapproving) a place where there is a lot of discussion and argument but no action is taken
take a back seat: to have less influence or importance
BRIC: Brazil, Russia, India, and China; 金砖四国
anoint: If a person in a position of authority anoints someone, they choose them to do a particular important job. (JOURNALISM)
The populist party anointed him as its candidate... (感谢mickey和lijay)
leverage: influence that you can use to make people do what you want
treasury: 国库券