China Center Quick Note: China, the WTO, and the

As China’s position in the international political economy continues to evolve, a predictable series of controversies is emerging. Last year it was the International Monetary Fund’s hotly debated decision to include the RMB in the basket of currencies that make up its Special Drawing Rights (SDR) reserve asset. This year the debate, discussion, and hand wringing for diplomats, politicians, and global business executives centers on the pending December 2016 deadline for World Trade Organization (WTO) members to grant China the normalized status of a “market economy” within the context of WTO rules and regulations.