Nevertheless, apart from bilateral trade, collaboration used to lack an intrinsic motivation. Consensus was in most cases reached by external stimulation, especially from the US. Facing pressure from Washington, China and the EU‘s first reaction was not to stick together, but to negotiate with the US separately. This deserves some introspection.

Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate in economics, has noted that „Now we have a leaderless, multipolar world. While we may talk about the G7, G8 or G20, the more apt description is G-Zero. We will have to learn how to live, and thrive, in this new world.“