Showing more discord than cooperation

New Haven, Connecticut

THIS week's Group of 20 (G-20) summit of world leaders in Hangzhou, China displayed more signs of discord than cooperation. In theory, the annual meeting of those leading 20 of the world's largest economies is designed to explore political and economic collaboration. In practice, this meeting highlighted disagreement and reluctance to tackle immediate crises.

Two broad themes stand out: first, competition among the world's great powers is, if anything, increasing; second, the economic underpinnings of the current order are under threat not from global leaders' disagreements but because of a widespread popular sense that governments do not know how to manage globalisation. This second trend is more disruptive because it is more unpredictable.