China’s decision to drop the Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) is less a legal earthquake than a strategic signal — but its symbolism matters. Announced by Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the move to forego the SDT that comes with being labelled a “developing country” in the WTO allows Beijing to claim a form of “grown‑up” membership in the global trading order while recalibrating its diplomacy toward key trade partners and developing countries. (mehr …)