《Singapore Daily News Sep 26》On September 23, China Premier Li Qiang attended the High-Level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, hosted by China. In his speech, he announced that China, as a responsible major developing country, will no longer seek new special and differential treatment in current and future negotiations within the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Shortly after, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce and International Trade Representative Li Chenggang emphasized at a press briefing that China remains the world’s largest developing country, and its status as a “developing country” has not changed. In other words, China is only giving up the preferential treatment associated with that status in the WTO, not the designation itself.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called this a pivotal moment for the organization. She praised China’s decision as a demonstration of its commitment to a more balanced and fair global trading system.

Why has China insisted on being classified as a “developing country”?

Within the WTO framework, developed and developing countries are subject to different rules — such as import tariff levels, the scope of obligations, and the length of transition periods. Developing countries are generally allowed more flexibility and longer timelines. When China joined the WTO in 2001, its GDP per capita was under $1,000, qualifying it for developing country status and the corresponding benefits.