Is China still considered an emerging market? Divergent viewpoints

Purpose China is an indispensable and dynamic member of the global community. The purpose of this viewpoint is to consider whether China still exhibits the characteristics of an emerging market first introduced in the literature in 1981. Design/methodology/approach Two international business scholars approach China's categorization as an emerging market through the lens of the traditional emerging market definition. The method employed is a back-and-forth debate grounded in international business theory. Findings Our contrasting findings indicate that China adheres to some traditional characteristics of an emerging market but not all of them, resulting in definitional ambiguity. The decades-old definition of emerging markets may no longer adequately describe China today. Originality/value Our original discussion moves beyond the traditional emerging market framework and considers other parameters that may better reflect China’s rise on the global stage.