CHALLENGES FACING G20
Speaking of the challenges that the G20 is facing, Schmucker said the group has already become a community of interests, which pursues the goal of a strong, balanced and sustainable growth of the world economy.
However, "the national interests of the member states again are coming to the fore as the financial crisis abates," she said.
Gu Xuewu, director of the Center for Global Studies at Bonn University in Germany, noted that in order to achieve better cooperation, G20 countries should overcome a "structural obstacle".
"The main members of the G20 are divided into two groups: the BRICS and the seven industrialized countries. The two groups have different demands. It's not difficult for them to find abstract common goals, but they are very likely to go separate ways on how to achieve the goals," he explained.
Gu thought that building "bridges" is necessary to break through this structural contradiction, saying China and Germany have the ability to help build the bridges and should concentrate their efforts on finding the right places
"I think many challenges that the emerging countries and industrialized countries are facing are the same. One of the biggest issues is how to promote employment, especially for women. All G20 members are facing the same challenges in this regard," he said.
In his view, China and Germany, which will hold the rotating presidency of the G20 in 2016 and 2017, respectively, have great potential for cooperation in uniting developing and industrialized countries to overcome the structural contradiction of group differentiation and to achieve a win-win situation.
