What This Bill Does
This bill tells the United States government to oppose calling the People's Republic of China a developing country in international treaties and organizations. The bill directs the Secretary of State to work toward having China labeled as an upper middle income, high income, or developed country instead.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of State and other federal agencies and departments that work with international organizations. Congress committees that oversee foreign affairs and trade. International organizations where both the United States and China are members.
Key Provisions
- The United States should oppose labeling China as a developing country in any treaty or international agreement the U.S. is part of (Sec. 2)
- The United States should oppose labeling China as a developing country in international organizations where the U.S. is a member (Sec. 2)
- The Secretary of State must submit a report to Congress within 180 days identifying all current treaty negotiations where different enforcement standards exist based on development status and China is being considered as a party (Sec. 3)
- The Secretary of State must pursue changing China's status from developing country to upper middle income, high income, or developed country in any international organization where both the U.S. and China are members, or work to prevent China from receiving preferential treatment as a developing country (Sec. 4)
- The President can waive these requirements if the President notifies Congress at least 10 days beforehand that doing so is in the national interest of the United States (Sec. 4)
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the Secretary of State and other federal agencies must actively work to change how China is classified in international organizations and treaties. The government must also ensure China does not receive special benefits or assistance based on developing country status.
Important Definitions
"Appropriate committees of Congress" means the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the House Committee on Ways and Means, and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (Sec. 5)
"Secretary" means the Secretary of State (Sec. 5)
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1107
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 28, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
AN ACT
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 Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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HR 1107 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘PRC Is Not a Devel-
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oping Country Act’’.
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SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
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It should be the policy of the United States—
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(1) to oppose the labeling or treatment of the
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People’s Republic of China as a developing country
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in any treaty or other international agreement to
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which the United States is a party;
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(2) to oppose the labeling or treatment of the
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People’s Republic of China as a developing country
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in each international organization of which the
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United States is a member; and
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(3) to pursue the labeling or treatment of the
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People’s Republic of China as an upper middle in-
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come country, high income country, or developed
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country in each international organization of which
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the United States is a member.
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SEC. 3. REPORT.
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Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
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ment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appro-
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priate committees of Congress a report identifying all cur-
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rent treaty negotiations in which—
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(1) the proposed treaty develops different
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standards for the enforcement of the treaty based on
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HR 1107 RFS
the development status of the member states of the
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treaty; and
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(2) the People’s Republic of China is under con-
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sideration for becoming a party to the treaty.
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SEC. 4. MECHANISMS FOR CHANGING THE DEVELOPMENT
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STATUS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF
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CHINA.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—In any international organization
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of which the United States and the People’s Republic of
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China are both current member states, the Secretary, in
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coordination with the heads of other Federal agencies and
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departments as needed, shall pursue—
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(1) changing the status of the People’s Republic
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of China from developing country to upper middle
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income country, high income country, or developed
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country if a mechanism exists in such organization
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to make such a change in status;
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(2) proposing the development of a mechanism
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described in paragraph (1) to change the status of
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the People’s Republic of China in such organization
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from developing country to developed country; or
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(3) regardless of efforts made pursuant to para-
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graphs (1) and (2), working to ensure that the Peo-
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ple’s Republic of China does not receive preferential
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treatment or assistance within the organization as a
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HR 1107 RFS
result of it having the status of a developing coun-
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try.
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(b) WAIVER.—The President may waive the applica-
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tion of subsection (a) with respect to any international or-
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ganization if the President notifies the appropriate com-
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mittees of Congress, not later than 10 days before the date
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on which the waiver shall take effect, that such a waiver
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is in the national interests of the United States.
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SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
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In this Act:
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(1)
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
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GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
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gress’’ means—
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(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and
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the Committee on Ways and Means of the
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House of Representatives; and
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(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of
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the Senate.
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(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
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the Secretary of State.
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Passed the House of Representatives March 27,
2023.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.
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