Update regarding Whiney Trump's China complaint

Checking the WTO website, the following is noted:

The WTO recognizes as least-developed countries (LDCs) those countries which have been designated as such by the United Nations. There are currently 47 least-developed countries on the UN list, 36 of which to date have become WTO members.

[...]

Eight more least-developed countries are negotiating to join the WTO.

[...]

There are no WTO definitions of “developed” or “developing” countries. Developing countries in the WTO are designated on the basis of self-selection although this is not necessarily automatically accepted in all WTO bodies.

  WTO

While there is a list of the "Least Developed Countries" on that site, I don't see any list of "developing" or "developed" countries.  (They may be there, and I just didn't come across it.) 

Here's the WTO information regarding trading with "developing" countries:

Further, the website says this about "developing countries."

There are no WTO definitions of “developed” and “developing” countries. Members announce for themselves whether they are “developed” or “developing” countries. However, other members can challenge the decision of a member to make use of provisions available to developing countries.

Developing country status in the WTO brings certain rights. There are for example provisions in some WTO Agreements which provide developing countries with longer transition periods before they are required to fully implement the agreement and developing countries can receive technical assistance.

That a WTO member announces itself as a developing country does not automatically mean that it will benefit from the unilateral preference schemes of some of the developed country members such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). In practice, it is the preference giving country which decides the list of developing countries that will benefit from the preferences.

  WTO

Does that not sound like it's up to the US to decide what preferences to give to countries who claim developing status?  At the very least, the US can challenge China's self-proclaimed status.

If you get to make claim yourself a developing country without any objective measure from the WTO, maybe Trump can declare us a developing country and get the perks he's upset about being unfair. In fact, if we keep going on the Trump train, we'll be able to make a very legitimate case for it.

Even though China is a huge and growing economy, its claim is apparently legitimate.  The World Bank considers China a developing country "because its per capita income is still a fraction of that in advanced countries." 

Trump's whining about unfair treatment (something he does at the drop of a hat) is a typical white privilege complaint very appealing to his base:  reverse discrimination.  Why should that poor black college applicant get any preferential treatment?  Why should slave descendents get any reparations?  Why should that poor family get their food and rent bill subsidized?  I don't get any of those things.  It's not fair.  Illogical, selfish and lacking compassion.  Trump to a T.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

BTW, aside from imposing retaliatory tariffs, China has filed a complaint with the WTO over Trump's intended tariffs.   He may have heard that on TV this morning, prompting him to whine on Twitter.