The US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee has passed a bill to revoke China’s developing country status, which was previously passed by the House of Representatives. The bill aims to prevent China from enjoying unfair advantages in multilateral agreements by classifying it as a developed country.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the proposed bill, arguing that China’s status as the largest developing nation is rooted in facts and international law. Experts view this move as part of the US containment policy against China, which is comprehensive.
The move is seen as political showboating, as the World Trade Organization (WTO) has no clear definition of what constitutes “developing” or “developed” countries, and it would require a consensus among WTO members, which does not currently exist.
This move from the United States comes days after dangerous encounters between Chinese and the US warships in the Taiwan strait. The U.S. Navy released a video of a Chinese warship dangerously sailing close to a U.S. destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, indicating a close encounter. The U.S. perceives China as a threat to the status quo by making threats against Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory.
China’s growing military capability and economic power are seen by the U.S. as a challenge to its decades-old military dominance in Asia. President Xi Jinping has initiated a large-scale military buildup, increasing China’s aggressiveness, which could lead to a collision with the U.S.
A recent close encounter between the two nations occurred approximately 150 nautical miles off the coast of Taiwan, with both sides holding different views of the incident. The U.S. and its allies defend the right of all countries to sail in international waters, while China sees such patrols as deliberate provocation.
