China’s classification as a developing nation by the United Nations must end, says U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), who on Sept. 9 sponsored a resolution calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to reject such labeling.
“For decades, China’s economy has grown to the point that they are now the second largest in the world. This success, coupled with political ambition, continues to fuel its desire for global hegemony,” Rep. Murphy said. “Yet despite its powerful status, it is still classified as a developing nation under multiple treaties and by international organizations, including the UN.
“It is long past due for China to lose its competitive advantage by being characterized this way,” said the congressman. “It is time for the UN to change this absurd moniker so that China’s status reflects its true position as a global economic leader.”
A country’s status labeled as a “developing nation” confers specific benefits reserved for lower-income countries and resources that should be allocated to countries with genuine need, including special development financing, technical expertise, governance support, preferential access to markets, and longer transition periods to implement commitments, says Rep. Murphy.
Today, China is the largest goods exporter in the world and the third-largest purchaser of U.S. exports, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
And between 2013 and 2022, China invested $679 billion on infrastructure projects in nearly 150 countries and was the top investor in global energy, financing 226 power plants in 64 countries, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
“Whereas the People’s Republic of China is still classified as a developing nation under multiple treaties and international organization structures, even though China has grown to be the second-largest economy in the world, now, therefore, be it resolved, that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that China should no longer be labeled as a ‘Developing Nation’ by the United Nations,” according to the text of the resolution.