China will drop its claim to benefits available to developing countries in trade negotiations under the WTO in a move that follows long-standing US objections to the practice.
China’s Premier Li Qiang announced the plan to refrain from claiming “special and differential treatment” on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, potentially removing one barrier to much-needed reforms of the WTO.
“China will not seek any new special and differential treatment in the current and future World Trade Organization negotiations,” said Li, China’s second-ranked official after President Xi Jinping, according to state media Xinhua.