Washington, July 27 -- President Donald Trump pressed the World Trade Organization on Friday to stop letting China and other economies receive lenient treatment under global trade rules by calling themselves "developing" countries.

In a memo, Trump directed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to "use all available means" to get the WTO to prevent countries from claiming developing country status if their economic strength means they don't need beneficial treatment.

Developing countries, supposedly not yet competitive with advanced economies such as the U.S., get more time to open their economies, more leeway to subsidize their exports and procedural advantages in WTO disputes. Countries can choose their own status, and other cou...