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India questions China's developing country status on per capita basis

According to per capita income level, the Chinese economy belongs to 'upper-middle income' category, argues India

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Illustration by Binay Sinha

Asit Ranjan Mishra New Delhi
India and China have mostly set aside their bilateral differences in order to champion the cause of developing countries at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). That seems to be changing. 

During the latest round of China’s trade policy review, India questioned its northern neighbour’s claim that it was a developing country, since, going by the World Bank’s definition, its per capita income belongs to that of an upper middle income country.

“As per the per capita income level, the Chinese economy belongs to ‘upper-middle income’. How can China still claim to be a developing country? What are the indicators which China is