While revising China’s development status may seem to be an inconsequential battle over semantics, stripping China of its “developing nation” label could impact not only how the country operates in international organizations, like the United Nations, but also how it frames its international cooperation approach to the Global South.
The senators who sponsored this legislation argue that by clinging to the “developing nation” label, China is absolving itself of its responsibility to advance the goals of international treaties at the level of a developed nation. The legislation states that the United States should refuse to enter into a treaty in which China is labeled a developing nation or receives the benefits of a developing nation under the terms of the treaty.
