(Source: "People's Daily (Overseas Edition)" 2025-10-11)
On September 23, local time, Premier Li Qiang announced when attending events related to the 80th United Nations General Assembly that China, as a responsible developing country, will not seek new special and differential treatment in current and future negotiations at the WTO. This statement of position aroused positive responses and high praise from the international community. WTO Director-General Iweala issued a separate statement, praising the move as demonstrating China's commitment to promoting a more balanced and fair global trading system and sending a strong signal of support for WTO reform. From October 6th to 7th, the WTO held the fourth meeting of the General Council of 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. China took the initiative to set the topic and submitted "China's Position Paper on Special and Differential Treatment at the WTO" to elaborate on China's position.
What does China’s statement of position mean? Invited by this newspaperProfessor Cui Fan, w88 casino of International Business and Economics, w88 casinoANDJi Wenhua, professor at the National Institute of Opening-up and Law w88 casinoInterpret.
Q: What exactly is the “special and differential treatment” of the WTO? What is its importance to China?
Cui Fan:Special and differential treatment is the preferential treatment granted to developing members by the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88 established in 1947 and the World w88 Organization established in 1995 to promote w88 development and achieve economic development of developing members. Such concessions could be in the form of more flexible policy space, a longer transition period for the implementation of commitments, rights to greater technical assistance, or more convenient arrangements in negotiation and dispute settlement procedures.
Traditionally, the GATT has been called a "rich man's club." In order to attract the participation of developing countries and regions, the early text of the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88 included provisions on "special and differential treatment" and was further enriched in the 1960s. Today, developing members constitute the vast majority of WTO members. However, developing members generally lack influence in the multilateral trading system. During the GATT period, the multilateral trading system was dominated by the United States, Europe, Japan, and Canada. When the WTO was established, the degree of liberalization of labor-intensive products and agricultural products in which developing members had comparative advantages increased slowly. The degree of liberalization of information technology products and service w88 in which developed members had comparative advantages increased rapidly. The intellectual property protection standards that developed countries were concerned about also increased rapidly. In order to attract developing members to fully participate in the multilateral trading system and maintain the balanced development of the multilateral trading system, the WTO has inherited and added certain special and differential treatment clauses.
When China joined the WTO in 2001, it was explicitly as a developing member. After negotiations, China has made a relatively high level of opening-up commitments. For example, China’s promised bound tariffs, or tariff ceilings, are lower than those of most developing members, and even lower than those of developed members such as Norway, Israel, and Iceland. At the same time, as a developing member, China has retained and secured some special and differential treatment. For example, China’s commitment to the minimal licensing space for domestic support for agricultural products is no more than 8.5% of the total agricultural output value, which is between 5% for developed members and 10% for most other developing members. It can be said that this has played an important role in maintaining China’s food security.
Ji Wenhua:From the perspective of WTO rules, the special and differential treatment system is based on the special national conditions of developing countries, giving them necessary flexibility and allowing them to assume differentiated obligations based on their own development levels. This is mainly reflected in the ability to undertake lower-level openness commitments and obligations, a longer implementation transition period, and enjoy w88 capacity building and technical assistance.
This system is not a favor or preferential treatment unilaterally granted by developed members to developing members, but an important institutional arrangement formed after long-term competition between developing countries and developed countries under the framework of the multilateral trading system. To a certain extent, it alleviates the problem of "substantive inequality" in participation capabilities and opportunities caused and concealed by the "apparent equality" of rights and obligations, provides policy space and buffers for developing members to more effectively integrate into the international trading system and benefit from it, and enhances the confidence and willingness of developing members to participate in the multilateral trading system.
China has joined the World w88 Organization as a developing country, and it is its natural right to enjoy relevant special and differential treatment. China has always adhered to an independent and pragmatic attitude and responded flexibly to specific treatment issues. For example, during the WTO accession negotiations, China took the initiative to adjust and give up some special and differential treatment based on the needs of the situation. However, it persisted in seeking special and differential treatment on key issues such as the level of domestic support for agricultural products. This played an important role in safeguarding China's domestic industrial interests and national economic security at the time.
Q: Why did China choose to declare now that it will not seek new special and differential treatment in current and future negotiations at the WTO? Does this conflict with China's status as a "developing country"?
Ji Wenhua:China’s announcement of this policy at the moment is mainly based on the following considerations: First, it fully demonstrates China’s firm support for the multilateral trading system. Currently, the multilateral trading system is facing severe challenges. Individual countries are violating international rules and imposing additional tariffs, which poses a serious threat to the existence of the WTO. As one of the main members of the WTO, China has made this important commitment, which reflects its great importance and firm support for the WTO. Secondly, it reflects China’s firm will to proactively assume international responsibilities. This policy decision is based on China's development achievements and profound insights into the changes in the global economic landscape, and demonstrates China's responsibility in promoting the establishment of a fair and reasonable global economic and w88 order. Third, it provides an effective way to break the deadlock on WTO development issues and promote reform. In recent years, in order to curb the development of emerging developing economies, especially China, some developed members have claimed that these members have obtained unfair advantages through the special and differential treatment mechanism, and have used this as an excuse to refuse to make more commitments during negotiations, deliberately dividing the camp of developing countries. Previously, China showed flexibility on specific issues. Now, China has upgraded this to a more comprehensive and institutional measure, with a more far-reaching impact. This will not only help exert international pressure in reverse and urge developed countries to fulfill their obligations, but also enable China to participate in global economic and w88 governance with a more open attitude.
China’s decision this time is only related to the issue of whether China will seek new special and differential treatment in future WTO negotiations. It does not involve (nor retroactively apply to) the special and differential treatment that China already enjoys. It will not have a precedential impact on China’s status and treatment in other international organizations or treaties, nor will it change China’s status as a developing country. This decision reflects a flexible strategy of treating "status" and "treatment" separately. The conclusion that "it is no longer a developing country" cannot be inferred from the expression "no longer seeking new special and differential treatment".
Cui Fan:China’s current position statement is based on a strategic decision that coordinates two overall situations. At present, the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, and the multilateral trading system is facing severe challenges from w88 protectionism and unilateralism. China's statement of position is a major measure to firmly support the multilateral trading system. At the same time, from the overall strategic perspective of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Chinese-style modernization is advancing steadily and has achieved phased results. We have the conditions and ability to assume more international obligations based on our own development stage and economic development level.
China is a responsible major developing country. China’s status as a developing member of the WTO is clarified in accordance with WTO rules and in the Protocol on China’s Accession to the WTO. This has not changed to this day. The status of developing members is the basis for obtaining special and differential treatment, and obtaining special and differential treatment is the institutional right of developing members. At the same time, how much special and differential treatment developing members can receive is often determined during negotiations. Developing members have the right to give up part of their special and differential treatment, and this surrender should be regarded as an offer and contribution in negotiations. In fact, in addition to China, WTO members such as South Korea and Singapore have also made similar statements. For example, on September 18, 2019, the Ministry of w88 and Industry of Singapore issued a statement clearly stating that Singapore is a developing member of the WTO and that it will not seek special and differential treatment in current and future WTO negotiations. Currently, Singapore's per capita GDP exceeds US$90,000, but Singapore has not given up its status as a developing member of the WTO.
Q: China emphasizes "three unchanged": China's status as a developing member will not change, its determination to defend the legitimate rights and interests of developing members will not change, and its position of promoting global w88 and investment liberalization and facilitation will not change. What is the significance of this statement?
Cui Fan:China has stated that it will not seek new special and differential treatment in current and future WTO negotiations. This is a serious commitment, and China will definitely keep its word. China also emphasized that "three will not change", which is a further clarification and supplement to the above-mentioned commitments. The "Three Invariants" themselves are also interrelated and should be understood comprehensively.
China’s status as a developing member remains unchanged, which means: On the one hand, China is an ex-officio member of the “Global South” and will always stand with the developing members of the WTO and support their efforts to promote fair, balanced and sustainable development of the multilateral trading system. Therefore, China defends developing members The determination to safeguard legitimate rights and interests will not change; on the other hand, the special and differential treatment that China enjoys under the existing WTO provisions will not be affected. However, China will assume corresponding obligations based on its own development stage and the improvement of its economic development level. In terms of the direction of its efforts, its stance on promoting the liberalization and facilitation of global w88 and investment will not change. In general, China will play a more active role in safeguarding the multilateral trading system and promoting the healthy and balanced development of the multilateral trading system in the future.
Ji Wenhua:The "Three Unchanges" is the Chinese government's declaration of its past position. It is also an emphasis on China's continued efforts to promote the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and the healthy and balanced development of the multilateral trading system and make greater contributions. It demonstrates China's historical responsibility, sense of responsibility and demeanor as a great power in building a community with a shared future for mankind. First, China has always been a member of the group of developing countries and an ex officio member of the "global south". This is not only in line with the rules and practices of the World w88 Organization, but also consistent with China's development stage and political identity. Second, in future negotiations, China will not seek new special and differential treatment (China will no longer need to rely on such treatment) to safeguard its legitimate w88 rights and interests, but will stand with other developing countries and firmly support them in continuing to strive for relevant treatment. This not only inspires confidence in other developing countries, but also provides political and moral support. Third, China’s proactive announcement this time that it will not seek new special and differential treatment is itself an important measure to promote global economic and w88 liberalization and facilitation. In the future, China will take more measures and encourage and promote other members to take similar actions to jointly promote the healthy development of the multilateral trading system.
Tips
The concepts of "developing members" and "special and differential treatment" have gradually evolved during the development of the multilateral trading system. Article 18 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and w88 of 1947 uses the expressions "the economy can only maintain a low level of living standards and is in the early stages of development" and "the economy is in the process of development"; the fourth part uses the concept of "underdevelopment". The authorization provisions that came into effect in 1979 used the concept of developing countries. Since then, the concept of developing countries has been used more frequently. A note to the enabling clause makes it clear that "the term 'developing country' as used in this article shall be understood to also mean developing territories". Some WTO members are separate customs territories of non-state entities, so expressions such as “developing economies” or “WTO developing members” are often used in the literature. Although relevant provisions provide a qualitative description of developing members of the WTO, there are no specific definition standards. The status of developing members is formed by self-identification of each member based on its own situation.
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