Ending China's Developing Nation Status Act

Subjects: International Affairs

Summary:  <p><b>Ending China's Developing Nation Status Act </b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of State to take actions to stop China from being classified as a developing nation by international organizations. (Generally, international organizations provide developing nations certain rights and beneficial treatment. For example, the World Trade Organization provides developing nations with so-called <i>special and differential treatment</i>, which includes measures that aim to increase trading opportunities for those nations.)</p> <p>Under this bill, the State Department must advocate for international organizations to (1) change China's status from developing nation to developed nation, or (2) develop a mechanism to change China's status to developed nation if no mechanism currently exists. </p> <p>The President may waive this requirement if doing so is in the national interest of the United States.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 308 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 308

To end the treatment of the People's Republic of China as a developing 
                                nation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 9, 2023

 Mr. Romney (for himself and Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To end the treatment of the People's Republic of China as a developing 
                                nation.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ending China's Developing Nation 
Status Act''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It should be the policy of the United States--
            (1) to oppose the labeling or treatment of the People's 
        Republic of China as a developing nation in current and future 
        treaty negotiations and in each international organization of 
        which the United States and the People's Republic of China are 
        both current members; and
            (2) to pursue the labeling or treatment of the People's 
        Republic of China as a developed nation in each international 
        organization of which the United States and the People's 
        Republic of China are both current members.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of State.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT STATUS IN CURRENT TREATY NEGOTIATIONS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate committees 
of Congress identifying all current treaty negotiations in which--
            (1) the proposed treaty develops different standards for 
        the enforcement of the treaty based on the development status 
        of the member states of the treaty; and
            (2) the People's Republic of China is under consideration 
        for becoming a party to the treaty.

SEC. 5. REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT STATUS IN EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS AND 
              TREATIES.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate committees 
of Congress identifying--
            (1) all international organizations or treaties, of which 
        the United States is a member, that have different standards 
        for enforcement based on the development status of the member 
        states; and
            (2) for each of the organizations or treaties identified 
        pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide a list 
        of countries that--
                    (A) are labeled as developing nations or receive 
                the benefits of a developing nation under the terms of 
                the organization or treaty; and
                    (B) meet the World Bank classification for upper 
                middle income or high-income countries.

SEC. 6. MECHANISMS FOR CHANGING DEVELOPMENT STATUS.

    (a) In General.--In any international organization of which the 
United States and the People's Republic of China are both current 
members, the Secretary shall pursue--
            (1) changing the status of the People's Republic of China 
        from developing nation to developed nation if a mechanism 
        exists in such organization to make such status change; or
            (2) proposing the development of a mechanism described in 
        paragraph (1) to change the status of the People's Republic of 
        China in such organization from developing nation to developed 
        nation.
    (b) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of paragraph 
(1) or (2) of subsection (a) with respect to any international 
organization if the President notifies the appropriate committees of 
Congress that such a waiver is in the national interests of the United 
States.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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