美国参议院通过了一项针对中国的新条款，那就是美国政府将向联合国提交一个新提议，希望联合国终止中国的发展中国家地位，将中国列为发达国家行列。到底是为什么？主要有两个目的。第一，美国想要通过这个法案，让中国被迫遵守第一梯队的废气减排规则，减缓中国工业发展速度。第二，美国想要让中国失去“发展中国家”应得的惠利。在海外问答论坛Quora上，美国网友提问道：为什么中国是世界第二大经济体反而是一个发展中国家？这引起广泛的讨论，我们看看他们的观点。
问题：为什么中国作为世界第二大经济体反而是发展中国家？
英国网友亚历克斯的回答
On the Internet, you may find many people preaching this:
在网上，你可能会发现许多人宣扬这一景观：
And this：
还有这个：
Then they exclaimed that China has more skyscrapers and high-speed trains than developed countries, so they are already developed countries.
然后他们惊叹道，中国的摩天大楼、高速列车等比发达国家还要多，所以他们已经是发达国家了。
This is misleading, and it is not the correct definition of "developed".
这是一种误导，这不是“发达”的正确定义。
You can't measure a city or a country by its appearance alone. We must carefully examine the interior of a country to truly understand whether you are truly developed. The world is so obsessed with painting appearance, which actually shows that they have not yet fully developed. Because fully developed countries do not need to show such things.
你不能仅凭外表来衡量一个城市或国家。我们必须仔细审视一个国家的内部，才能真正了解你是否真正发达。世人如此痴迷于描绘外表，这实际上表明他们还没有完全发展起来。因为完全发达的国家没有必要展现这样的东西。
For example, San Francisco:
例如，旧金山：
Look, there aren't many skyscrapers, are there? Look at those old cable cars! Some people must think that means they haven't been developed yet, right? No, everyone knows that San Francisco is a developed city, which is why it is unnecessary to show off luxury skyscrapers and similar things.
看，没有多少摩天大楼吧？看看那些老缆车！有人肯定觉得那一定意味着它们还没有开发出来，对吧？不，大家都知道旧金山是一个发达城市，这就是为什么它没有必要炫耀豪华摩天大楼和类似的东西。
Or Florence, Italy?
或者意大利佛罗伦萨怎么样？
Again, there are no skyscrapers here. But everyone knows that this is a developed city, and no one thinks Italy is a developing country.
再说一遍，这里没有摩天大楼。但每个人都知道这是一个发达的城市，没人觉得意大利是一个发展中国家。
My view is that you must look at the people and the interior of a country to really understand whether they are developed.
我的观点是，你必须看看一个国家的人民和内部，才能真正了解他们是否发达。
This is the real scene in China:
这是存在于中国的真实场景：
You have to look at ordinary people. Do ordinary people have good medical and health care conditions (by the way, in the ranking of the World Health Organization, the medical and health care level of Chinese people is still lower than that of developed countries)? Can everyone safely drink tap water? Do they have access to quality food? Can all people receive quality education?
你必须看看普通人。他们是否有良好的医疗保健条件（顺便说一句，在世界卫生组织排名中，他们的医疗保健水平还低于发达国家）？所有人都能安全饮用自来水吗？他们有机会获得优质食品吗？所有人都能接受优质教育吗？
The answer is: If you live in a rich eastern coastal province, of course, because their development level has reached the level of developed countries, but if you live in a western province such as Xinjiang, Gansu or Tibet, you may have to face these problems. China's development is still uneven. Although China has developed rapidly in recent decades and people's living standards have improved a lot, there is still much work to be done to ensure that every Chinese can enjoy the fruits of development equally.
答案是：如果你生活在富裕的东部沿海省份，当然可以，因为他们的发展水平已经达到发达国家水准了，但如果你生活的地方是西部省份如新疆、甘肃或西藏，那你可能不得不面临这些问题。中国的发展还不平衡。尽管几十年来中国发展很快，人们的生活水平提升很多，但仍有许多工作要做，以确保每个中国人都能平等地享受到发展的成果。
Then you have to look at people's attitude towards life. People are trying to make money, which is why? It is because the money they earn is not enough to spend, which indicates that the country is still developing.
然后你要看看人们的生活态度，人们都在拼命赚钱，这就是为什么？是因为他们挣的钱不够花销，这表明该国仍在发展。
Another thing I want to point out is that many bathrooms in China do not have pre installed toilet paper. Do you know why? This is because people take it. Now, in which developed country will this happen? I can't think of anything. Only in developing countries do you need to take your toilet paper to the bathroom because there is no toilet paper there and you are afraid that someone will take it.
另一个我想指出的现象是，许多中国的浴室里没有预装厕纸。你知道原因吗？这是因为人们拿了它。现在，在哪个发达国家会发生这种情况？我想不出有什么。只有在发展中国家，你才需要把自己的厕纸带到浴室，因为那里没有厕纸，因为担心有人拿。
I found that GDP/per capita is usually a good indicator of a country's development. China's average GDP/per capita (PPP) is still around 12000 US dollars/person. Although this figure is higher than that of most Asian countries, it is still lower than that of South Korea, Singapore and Japan, and far lower than the US $62000 per capita.
我发现GDP/人均通常是衡量一个国家发达程度的一个很好的指标。中国的平均GDP/人均（PPP）仍在12000美元/人左右。虽然这个数字高于绝大多数亚洲国家，但仍低于韩国、新加坡和日本，远低于美国的人均6.2万美元。
Therefore, I believe that China is still a developing country. No amount of skyscrapers, high-speed railways, smart phones or technological innovation can really show how developed a country is. I mean, according to this standard, you can also think that Dubai is more developed than London - we know this is incorrect. You can't use violent crime or drug statistics to show how developed a country is - according to this standard, India, which has less gun violence, will be considered more developed than the United States.
因此，我认为中国仍然是一个发展中国家。再多的摩天大楼、高速铁路、智能手机或技术创新也不能真正表明一个国家有多发达。我的意思是，按照这个标准，你也可以认为迪拜比伦敦更发达——我们知道这是不正确的。你也不能用暴力犯罪或毒品统计数据来表明一个国家有多发达——根据这一标准，枪支暴力较少的印度将被视为比美国更发达。
The real measure of a developed society is to observe the people living in the country, not the country itself. China's "face" culture is the same. You can clearly see that China is developing really fast, and many people are still talking about luxury goods and consumerism.
衡量一个发达社会的真正标准是观察居住在该国的人民，而不是观察该国本身的面貌。这体现在中国的“面子”文化上。你可以很明显地看到，中国发展得真的很快，很多人仍在喋喋不休地谈论奢侈品和消费主义。
Americans or Europeans are not the biggest consumers of luxury goods. The more developed you are, the less you need to test your self-worth with materialism. In order to send your children abroad for education, you have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on their education. You need to go to Canada or the United States and other countries to give birth. In this way, your children can become citizens of the United States or Canada, or transfer property by buying real estate in other countries, which is not necessary in developed countries.
美国人或欧洲人不是奢侈品的最大消费者。你越是发达，就越不需要用物质主义来验证你的自我价值。为了送孩子去国外接受教育，你不得不花费数万美元在孩子们的教育上，需要去加拿大或美国等国家分娩，这样您的孩子就可以成为美国或加拿大公民，或者通过在其他国家购买房地产来转移财产，而发达国家不需要这样做。
This is why you should always pay attention to this old adage - do not judge the development of civilization by its surface appearance (technology, architecture, etc.), but by people's behavior.
这就是为什么你应该始终注意这句古老的格言——不要根据文明的表面外观（技术、建筑等）来判断文明的发展程度，而要根据人们的行为来判断他们的发展程度。
德国网友安德鲁•史密斯的回答
As we all know, China is the second largest economy in the world, and its economic aggregate is only second to that of the United States. This is an indisputable fact, but it does not mean that high economic aggregate means that you are a developed country. China has a population of 1.4 billion. Look, there is still a big gap between China and the developed countries in the world, so they are still a developing country.
众所周知，中国是世界第二大经济体，其经济总量仅次于美国。这是一个无可争辩的事实，但这并不意味着高经济总量意味着你是发达国家。中国有14亿人口。看，中国和世界上的发达国家还有很大的差距，所以他们仍然是一个发展中国家。
But the United States does not think so. Americans believe that your GDP will soon catch up with mine and grow rapidly every year. It is only a matter of time before I am surpassed. At this moment, it cannot stop you, but it will also add some obstacles to you, constantly create Sino US trade frictions, and force China to become the so-called "developed country". Trump also often "appeals for injustice" on the Internet, apparently with the intention of suppressing China.
但美国并不这么认为。美国人认为你们的GDP总量很快就会赶上我，而且每年都会快速增长。超越我只是时间问题。此时此刻它不能阻止你，但它也会给你增加一些障碍，不断制造中美贸易摩擦，迫使中国成为所谓的“发达国家”。特朗普还经常在互联网上“呼吁不公正”，明显意图压制中国。
The WTO does not have its own quantitative criteria to measure whether a country is a developing country, but it clearly points out that developed countries should provide a preferential transition period to developing countries. When China joined the WTO in 2001, its per capita GDP was less than 1000 US dollars, which undoubtedly belonged to developing countries. However, by 2019, China's per capita GDP will be close to 10000 US dollars. Therefore, it is clear that the United States proposed that China enjoy preferential treatment for developing countries in the WTO and suppress China.
世贸组织没有自己的数量标准来衡量一个国家是否是发展中国家，但它明确指出，发达国家应向发展中国家提供优惠的过渡期。2001年中国加入世贸组织时，人均GDP不足1000美元，这无疑属于发展中国家。然而，到2019年，中国的人均GDP接近10000美元，因此，美国建议中国在世贸组织中享受发展中国家的优惠待遇，压制中国的想法昭然若揭。
Of course, the definition standards of developed countries and developing countries can be measured by many indicators, such as GDP (gross domestic product), per capita GNI (gross national income), average life expectancy, literacy rate, medical level, etc. But I think these data are not the most important, because these standards are the result of political struggles between major countries. Whoever is stronger has the right to speak for the rules.
当然，发达国家和发展中国家的界定标准可以用许多指标来衡量，例如GDP（国内生产总值）、人均GNI（国民总收入）、平均预期寿命、识字率、医疗水平等……但我认为，这些数据并不是最重要的，因为这些标准是大国之间政治角力的结果，无论谁更强，都有权为规则说话。
In other words, the United States must make China a developed country. It will produce a series of indicators to show that you are a developed country. As for how to calculate these indicators, he has a large number of top economists to calculate. Therefore, he believes that China must become a developed country and bear all kinds of undue obligations.
换言之，美国必须使中国成为一个发达国家，它将产生一系列指标来表明你是一个发达的国家。至于如何计算这些指标，他有大量顶尖经济学家来计算，因此他认为中国必须成为一个发达国家，然后承担着各种不应有的义务。
Therefore, many pseudo developed countries are "accidentally" classified as developed countries, such as Iceland in Europe, South Korea in Asia, South Africa in Africa, etc. These countries simply do not have the strength of developed countries and need to meet the requirements of developed countries. Responsibility is not only the result of insufficient political power, but also the manifestation of a weak country without diplomacy.
因此，有许多伪发达国家被“意外”归类为发达国家，如欧洲的冰岛、亚洲的韩国、非洲的南非等。这些国家根本没有发达国家的实力，需要满足发达国家的要求。责任是政治权力不足的结果，也是没有外交的弱国的表现。
Therefore, the problem China is facing now is not when it will become a developed country, but how it will become a developed country in the future and enjoy the status of a developing country for a long time, because at present, this status brings China only advantages, not disadvantages.
因此，中国现在面临的问题不是什么时候会成为发达国家，而是如何在以后成为发达国家并长期享有发展中国家的地位，因为目前，这种地位给中国带来的只有好处，没有坏处。
The summary is as follows:
总结如下：
"What has been developed? Advanced buildings, advanced railways, advanced technologies... These are just tools to achieve goals, not goals worth pursuing."
“开发了什么？先进的建筑、先进的铁路、先进的技术……这些只是实现目标的工具，而不是值得追求的目标。”
The most important thing is to pay for the weak. As we all know, it is always the shortest that determines the barrel capacity; The standard for measuring a country's development is not the height of the strong, but the position of the weak. The development of a country depends not only on cities, but also on backward and poor areas. Therefore, the state must make efforts to help the poor and benefit the people.
最重要的是为弱者买单。我们都知道，决定桶容量的总是最短的；衡量一个国家的发展程度，标准不是强者的高度，而是弱者的地位。一个国家的发展不仅要看城市，还要看落后贫困地区。因此，国家必须努力帮助穷人，造福人民。
How is life? Only one knows whether it is a developed country. It should not be defined. Whether China is "developing" or "developed", the Chinese people are practitioners and witnesses, and they are still moving forward.
生活怎么样，只有自己知道它是否是一个发达国家，不应该被定义。无论中国是“发展中的”还是“发达的”，中国人民都是实践者和见证者，他们仍在前进。
墨西哥网友阿弗雷德的回答
Let's compare Mexico and China, the developing countries in the eyes of the United States. According to the data of the International Monetary Fund, China's per capita GDP in 2015 was 7990 US dollars, while Mexico's per capita GDP was 9009 US dollars. In terms of GDP per capita, it may take China three years to catch up with Mexico. Therefore, in terms of GDP indicators, China lags behind Mexico slightly.
让我们用美国眼中的发展中国家——墨西哥和中国做个比较。根据国际货币基金组织的数据，2015年中国人均GDP为7990美元，而墨西哥人均GDP为9009美元。按人均GDP计算，中国可能需要3年时间才能赶上墨西哥。因此，就GDP指标而言，中国略落后于墨西哥。
But let's look at the potential for economic growth:
但让我们看看经济增长潜力：
• China has some of the most advanced technologies in the world. So far, Chinese supercomputers have ranked first in the world's top 500 for six consecutive times, defeating the United States, Japan and other countries. China has a strong nuclear and space program. China has the ability to build large transport and commercial aircraft. China has the ability to build 10000 ton destroyers and 60000 ton aircraft carriers. Mexico cannot do any of the above in the near future.
•中国拥有一些世界上最先进的技术。迄今为止，中国超级计算机连续6次位居世界500强榜单第一，击败了美国和日本等国家。中国有强大的核和太空计划。中国有能力建造大型运输和商用飞机。中国有能力建造10000吨级驱逐舰和60000吨级航母。在不久的将来，墨西哥不可能做到以上任何一点。
• China can say "no" to the United States. China is a quasi superpower. It has a better chance to defend its own interests against other countries. Of course, the status of a major country has also aroused dissatisfaction in the Western world. Sometimes this means trade disputes and diplomatic tensions.
•中国可以对美国说“不”。中国是一个准超级大国。它有更好的机会捍卫自己的利益，反对其他国家。当然，大国地位也引起西方世界的不满。有时这意味着贸易争端和外交紧张。
• China has a huge domestic market. Once the export-oriented economy shrinks, China will have the opportunity to adjust its economic structure to a domestic consumer economy, which is an incomparable advantage.
•中国拥有巨大的国内市场。一旦出口型经济萎缩，中国就有机会将其经济结构调整为国内消费型经济，这是无可比拟的优势。
• China is the world's factory. Mexico was at the same level of development as China. Now, as China's growth rate exceeds Mexico's, its role has changed. China's status as a world factory is unlikely to lose to India or the United States within five years.
•中国是世界工厂。墨西哥曾与中国处于同一发展水平，现在，随着中国的增长速度超过墨西哥，角色发生了转变。中国的世界工厂地位不太可能在5年内输给印度或美国。
In the past decade, the infrastructure has developed rapidly: expressways, high-speed trains, subways, skyscrapers, etc. From 2007 to 2012, I lived in China (the Pearl River Delta). Whenever I returned to Mexico, I would be surprised at how much changes had taken place in a few months. In June, I witnessed the construction of Mexico's first high-speed railway in Toluca. After completion, Mexico will have 57 kilometers of high-speed rail for the first time, while China had 19000 kilometers at that time.
过去十年来的基础设施发展神速：高速公路、高速列车、地铁、摩天大楼等。2007年至2012年，我住在中国（珠江三角洲），每当我回到墨西哥我会惊讶于几个月内的变化有多大。6月，我在托卢卡目睹了墨西哥第一条高速铁路的修建。建成后，墨西哥将首度拥有57公里的高铁，而当时中国有19000公里。
In terms of per capita GDP, China and Mexico belong to the same development category. From defense economy, high-tech industry to education and infrastructure, China has at least some large population countries ahead of Mexico. If you want to compare the economy of China and Mexico, please pay close attention to the aviation industry, Internet industry and (industrial) robot industry. These industries are one of the most promising industries in China in the next five years.
仅就人均GDP而言，中国和墨西哥属于同一发展类别。从国防经济、高科技产业到教育和基础设施，中国至少有一部分人口大国领先于墨西哥。如果你想比较中国和墨西哥的经济，请密切关注航空业、互联网业和（工业）机器人行业。这些行业是中国未来5年最具前景的行业之一。
So is China a developing country? Yes, not exactly.
所以中国是发展中国家吗？是又不完全是。