Overview

• Premier Li Qiang announced the policy at a development forum in New York on Tuesday during the UN General Assembly.
• WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said China will not have access to special and differential treatment in new agreements and praised the step as important for reform.
• The decision applies to ongoing and future WTO negotiations, foregoing preferential obligations reserved for self-declared developing countries.
• China’s Commerce Ministry said the move is intended to bolster the global trade system in a period of tariffs and protectionist measures.
• Beijing continues to describe itself as a middle-income member of the developing-country group, while wealthier members including the United States had urged this change.