PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act

Subjects: International Affairs, Asia, China, Congressional oversight, International law and treaties, International organizations and cooperation

Summary:  <p><b>PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of State to take actions to stop China from being classified as a developing country by international organizations. (Generally, international organizations provide developing countries certain rights and beneficial treatment. For example, the World Trade Organization provides developing countries with so-called <i>special and differential treatment</i>, which includes measures that aim to increase trading opportunities for those countries.)</p> <p>Under this bill, the State Department must advocate for international organizations to (1) change China's status from developing country to upper middle income country, high income country, or developed country; (2) develop a mechanism to change China's status to developed country if no mechanism currently exists; or (3) ensure that China does not receive preferential treatment or assistance as a result of having developing country status. </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]
[H.R. 1107 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1107

 To direct the Secretary of State to take certain actions with respect 
   to the labeling of the People's Republic of China as a developing 
                    country, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 21, 2023

 Mrs. Kim of California (for herself and Mr. Connolly) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of State to take certain actions with respect 
   to the labeling of the People's Republic of China as a developing 
                    country, and for other purposes.

    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 ``PRC Is Not a Developing Country 
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 country in any treaty or 
        other international agreement to which the United States is a 
        party;
            (2) to oppose the labeling or treatment of the People's 
        Republic of China as a developing country in each international 
        organization of which the United States is a member; and
            (3) to pursue the labeling or treatment of the People's 
        Republic of China as an upper middle income country, high 
        income country, or developed country in each international 
        organization of which the United States is a member.

SEC. 3. REPORT.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report 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. 4. MECHANISMS FOR CHANGING THE DEVELOPMENT STATUS OF THE PEOPLE'S 
              REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

    (a) In General.--In any international organization of which the 
United States and the People's Republic of China are both current 
member states, the Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other 
Federal agencies and departments as needed, shall pursue--
            (1) changing the status of the People's Republic of China 
        from developing country to upper middle income country, high 
        income country, or developed country if a mechanism exists in 
        such organization to make such a change in status;
            (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 country to developed 
        country; or
            (3) regardless of efforts made pursuant to paragraphs (1) 
        and (2), working to ensure that the People's Republic of China 
        does not receive preferential treatment or assistance within 
        the organization as a result of it having the status of a 
        developing country.
    (b) Waiver.--The President may waive the application 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.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

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