Another day, another row: US wants to strip China of ‘developing’ tag

[beijingwalker]

Another day, another row: US wants to strip China of ‘developing’ tag

• The US House’s unanimous vote on the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act is just the latest on a long list of quarrels between Beijing and Washington
• The facts on the ground are that China is not yet a developed country, but facts probably won’t matter to angry and hostile US politicians

Published: 7:00am, 4 Apr, 2023

The unanimous vote by the US House of Representatives to deprive China of its status as a “developing country” is set to open a new diplomatic row between Washington and Beijing, dealing another blow to an already-fragile global governance system.

It is not the first time that the two countries have quarrelled over the economic status of China. The Chinese government, for instance, tried for about a decade to persuade the US and EU, two of its largest trading partners, to treat China as a market economy – a move that would help Chinese exporters in anti-dumping cases and give Beijing a nominal thumbs up to its economic liberalisation efforts.

To Beijing’s frustration, the US and EU never granted China’s wish. Beijing eventually threw in the towel and halted its case at the World Trade Organization in 2019, when China’s trade war with the US under the Trump administration became the more urgent priority.

The “market economy” label affects how fair prices are calculated in anti-dumping cases, but the “developing country” tag is much more important to China due to its political and economic implications. The latter represents the core of the country’s self-positioning since it began to officially join international bodies in the 1970s.

For the past half-century or so, the “developing country” label has become the default basis on which China participates in international organisations and strikes agreements ranging from trade to climate change.
When dealing with Washington, Beijing has now and again returned to the line that the US is the world’s largest developed economy, while China is the largest developing economy.

The latest efforts by US politicians to revoke China’s “developing country” status will be seen by Beijing as another trick by Washington to contain and suppress the nation’s development. The full bipartisan support towards the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act only shows the depth of the anger and hostility against China.

But China is unlikely to give up its “developing” label easily. Li Qiang, the country’s new premier, said last week in his first speech at the Boao Forum for Asia that China remains the world’s largest developing economy, in a rebuke to US politicians.

While there is no universally agreed yardstick to measure whether a country is developing or developed, the facts on the ground are that China remains a developing economy.

The country’s per capita GDP is near the threshold of a high-income country as defined by the World Bank, but it is not yet there. On the Human Development Index of the United Nations, which covers life expectancy, education and standard of living, China ranked 79th in 2021. It is simply not right to put China in the same developmental group as the US or Germany.

Still, in a world where Beijing and Washington are at odds over more than just China’s developmental status, the facts probably don’t matter much. The US side will find plenty of excuses to remove China’s “developing country” label, and ironically, it may rely partly on Chinese propaganda.

Beijing’s conclusion that “the East is on the rise, while the West is in decline”, as well as its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, for example, give the impression that China no longer views itself as a Third World country.

In Confucian philosophy, identifying things by the right names is the start to making things right, and without proper labelling, tasks cannot be done.

China probably knows it will be increasingly difficult to justify the “developing” tag as its economic might and influence grow. But China’s strategic alliance with the developing world is not going to change, while the nation is taking up greater responsibilities and obligations on the global stage, including its pledge to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

At the end of the day, the debate on whether China is a developing country reflects the sad fact that the world is polarised by Beijing and Washington’s divergent views over a long list of issues. Governments, multinational companies, and even individuals will be pushed to take sides. It is not going to end well for all.

Opinion | Another day, another row: US wants to strip China of ‘developing’ tag

The US House’s unanimous vote on the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act is just the latest on a long list of quarrels between Beijing and Washington.

www.scmp.com

 

[dbc]

@beijingwalker aren‘t you here on PDF 24/7 convincing people how China is so much more modern and developed than the West. High speed rail…blah..blah….mega..tunnels…subway infrastructure…life expectancy..blah blah..

Guess what we’re convinced
You lose your developing nation trade benefits.

 

[beijingwalker]

@beijingwalker aren‘t you here on PDF 24/7 convincing people how China is so much more modern and developed than the West. High speed rail…blah..blah….mega..tunnels…subway infrastructure…life expectancy..blah blah..

Guess what we’re convinced
You lose your developing nation trade benefits.

What US says doesn't count, US is not the law maker.

 

[beijingwalker]

China says its status as developing country not decided by U.S.
CGTN
19:56, 09-Jun-2023

China on Friday accused the United States of bullying by attempting to strip it of the status of a developing country, saying the status is not decided by Washington.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday passed the so-called "Ending China's Developing Nation Status Act," a bill that would require the State Department to pursue changing China's status as a developing nation in international organizations, according to Reuters.

When asked to comment on the issue at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the U.S., by taking the move, is just playing another card to contain China's development.

It is not out of appreciation for China's development or achievements that the U.S. wants to impose on China the status of a developed nation, Wang told reporters.

"Whether China is a developing country or not is not up to the United States," he said.

Wang added, China's status as the largest developing country in the world is "well-grounded" in fact and has "a solid foundation" in international law.

That will not be stripped by a piece of bill by the U.S. Congress, and China's legitimate rights as a developing country will not be cancelled by politicians on the Capitol Hill, he underscored.

The spokesperson also rejected the claim by some U.S. lawmakers that China uses its status as a developing country to evade its international responsibilities.

When it comes to contribution to the world economic growth, and payment of UN dues and peacekeeping assessments, China's contributions far exceed those of most developed countries, said Wang.

China says its status as developing country not decided by U.S.

China on Friday accused the United States of bullying by attempting to strip it of the status of a developing country, saying the status is not decided by Washington.

news.cgtn.com

 

[dbc]

What US says doesn't count, US is not the law maker.

It does for bilateral trade between China and the US. And it makes a huge difference in the treatment of US FDI into China.

 

[hari sud]

Another day, another row: US wants to strip China of ‘developing’ tag​

• The US House’s unanimous vote on the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act is just the latest on a long list of quarrels between Beijing and Washington
• The facts on the ground are that China is not yet a developed country, but facts probably won’t matter to angry and hostile US politicians

Published: 7:00am, 4 Apr, 2023

The unanimous vote by the US House of Representatives to deprive China of its status as a “developing country” is set to open a new diplomatic row between Washington and Beijing, dealing another blow to an already-fragile global governance system.

It is not the first time that the two countries have quarrelled over the economic status of China. The Chinese government, for instance, tried for about a decade to persuade the US and EU, two of its largest trading partners, to treat China as a market economy – a move that would help Chinese exporters in anti-dumping cases and give Beijing a nominal thumbs up to its economic liberalisation efforts.

To Beijing’s frustration, the US and EU never granted China’s wish. Beijing eventually threw in the towel and halted its case at the World Trade Organization in 2019, when China’s trade war with the US under the Trump administration became the more urgent priority.

The “market economy” label affects how fair prices are calculated in anti-dumping cases, but the “developing country” tag is much more important to China due to its political and economic implications. The latter represents the core of the country’s self-positioning since it began to officially join international bodies in the 1970s.

For the past half-century or so, the “developing country” label has become the default basis on which China participates in international organisations and strikes agreements ranging from trade to climate change.
When dealing with Washington, Beijing has now and again returned to the line that the US is the world’s largest developed economy, while China is the largest developing economy.

The latest efforts by US politicians to revoke China’s “developing country” status will be seen by Beijing as another trick by Washington to contain and suppress the nation’s development. The full bipartisan support towards the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act only shows the depth of the anger and hostility against China.

But China is unlikely to give up its “developing” label easily. Li Qiang, the country’s new premier, said last week in his first speech at the Boao Forum for Asia that China remains the world’s largest developing economy, in a rebuke to US politicians.

While there is no universally agreed yardstick to measure whether a country is developing or developed, the facts on the ground are that China remains a developing economy.

The country’s per capita GDP is near the threshold of a high-income country as defined by the World Bank, but it is not yet there. On the Human Development Index of the United Nations, which covers life expectancy, education and standard of living, China ranked 79th in 2021. It is simply not right to put China in the same developmental group as the US or Germany.

Still, in a world where Beijing and Washington are at odds over more than just China’s developmental status, the facts probably don’t matter much. The US side will find plenty of excuses to remove China’s “developing country” label, and ironically, it may rely partly on Chinese propaganda.

Beijing’s conclusion that “the East is on the rise, while the West is in decline”, as well as its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, for example, give the impression that China no longer views itself as a Third World country.

In Confucian philosophy, identifying things by the right names is the start to making things right, and without proper labelling, tasks cannot be done.

China probably knows it will be increasingly difficult to justify the “developing” tag as its economic might and influence grow. But China’s strategic alliance with the developing world is not going to change, while the nation is taking up greater responsibilities and obligations on the global stage, including its pledge to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

At the end of the day, the debate on whether China is a developing country reflects the sad fact that the world is polarised by Beijing and Washington’s divergent views over a long list of issues. Governments, multinational companies, and even individuals will be pushed to take sides. It is not going to end well for all.

Opinion | Another day, another row: US wants to strip China of ‘developing’ tag

The US House’s unanimous vote on the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act is just the latest on a long list of quarrels between Beijing and Washington.

www.scmp.com

That tag should have been removed a decade back but it was not because the US Wall Street total dependency on profits of cheap but third class goods from China. Profits drive the Wall Street hence they do not mind quality.

 

[beijingwalker]

That tag should have been removed a decade back but it was not because the US Wall Street total dependency on profits of cheap but third class goods from China. Profits drive the Wall Street hence they do not mind quality.

lol, how about India?

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defence.pk

Chinese Imports Critical for Boosting India’s Manufacturing, Finds New Study, Chinese imports are preferred in India for better quality, not price​

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defence.pk

 

[etylo]

That tag should have been removed a decade back but it was not because the US Wall Street total dependency on profits of cheap but third class goods from China. Profits drive the Wall Street hence they do not mind quality.

What junk can your country Endia produce ? not even fourth class.

 

[Muji.Iqbal]

Another day, another row: US wants to strip China of ‘developing’ tag​

• The US House’s unanimous vote on the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act is just the latest on a long list of quarrels between Beijing and Washington
• The facts on the ground are that China is not yet a developed country, but facts probably won’t matter to angry and hostile US politicians

Published: 7:00am, 4 Apr, 2023

The unanimous vote by the US House of Representatives to deprive China of its status as a “developing country” is set to open a new diplomatic row between Washington and Beijing, dealing another blow to an already-fragile global governance system.

It is not the first time that the two countries have quarrelled over the economic status of China. The Chinese government, for instance, tried for about a decade to persuade the US and EU, two of its largest trading partners, to treat China as a market economy – a move that would help Chinese exporters in anti-dumping cases and give Beijing a nominal thumbs up to its economic liberalisation efforts.

To Beijing’s frustration, the US and EU never granted China’s wish. Beijing eventually threw in the towel and halted its case at the World Trade Organization in 2019, when China’s trade war with the US under the Trump administration became the more urgent priority.

The “market economy” label affects how fair prices are calculated in anti-dumping cases, but the “developing country” tag is much more important to China due to its political and economic implications. The latter represents the core of the country’s self-positioning since it began to officially join international bodies in the 1970s.

For the past half-century or so, the “developing country” label has become the default basis on which China participates in international organisations and strikes agreements ranging from trade to climate change.
When dealing with Washington, Beijing has now and again returned to the line that the US is the world’s largest developed economy, while China is the largest developing economy.

The latest efforts by US politicians to revoke China’s “developing country” status will be seen by Beijing as another trick by Washington to contain and suppress the nation’s development. The full bipartisan support towards the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act only shows the depth of the anger and hostility against China.

But China is unlikely to give up its “developing” label easily. Li Qiang, the country’s new premier, said last week in his first speech at the Boao Forum for Asia that China remains the world’s largest developing economy, in a rebuke to US politicians.

While there is no universally agreed yardstick to measure whether a country is developing or developed, the facts on the ground are that China remains a developing economy.

The country’s per capita GDP is near the threshold of a high-income country as defined by the World Bank, but it is not yet there. On the Human Development Index of the United Nations, which covers life expectancy, education and standard of living, China ranked 79th in 2021. It is simply not right to put China in the same developmental group as the US or Germany.

Still, in a world where Beijing and Washington are at odds over more than just China’s developmental status, the facts probably don’t matter much. The US side will find plenty of excuses to remove China’s “developing country” label, and ironically, it may rely partly on Chinese propaganda.

Beijing’s conclusion that “the East is on the rise, while the West is in decline”, as well as its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, for example, give the impression that China no longer views itself as a Third World country.

In Confucian philosophy, identifying things by the right names is the start to making things right, and without proper labelling, tasks cannot be done.

China probably knows it will be increasingly difficult to justify the “developing” tag as its economic might and influence grow. But China’s strategic alliance with the developing world is not going to change, while the nation is taking up greater responsibilities and obligations on the global stage, including its pledge to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

At the end of the day, the debate on whether China is a developing country reflects the sad fact that the world is polarised by Beijing and Washington’s divergent views over a long list of issues. Governments, multinational companies, and even individuals will be pushed to take sides. It is not going to end well for all.

Opinion | Another day, another row: US wants to strip China of ‘developing’ tag

The US House’s unanimous vote on the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act is just the latest on a long list of quarrels between Beijing and Washington.

www.scmp.com

If China has an economy larger than USA's in NOMINAL GDP, then I wouldn't call China a developing country anymore. Maybe a developed country and industrialized one.

 

[silverox]

India is already a developed country, at least that's what I saw in the Indian media

China will consider itself a developed country only when China's per capita income reaches the current level of Japan.

Now the per capita income of South Korea and Taiwan is about to surpass that of Japan. I am too lazy to check the specific data.


may have exceeded

I predict that China will become a developed country within 20 years