A U.S. Senate committee on Thursday backed legislation that would deprive China of its designation as a "developing nation" at several international organizations, as members of the U.S. focus on competing with the Asian power.

The "Ending China's Developing Nation Status Act" was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee without opposition. The bill would require the Secretary of State to pursue changing China's status as a developing nation in international organizations.

Proponents of the bill say that status can allow special privileges in some organizations or treaties.

Although there was no clear indication of when it may happen, the committee's approval opens the door for the legislation to be discussed by the full Senate.

A similar measure passed the House of Representatives in March by 415-0.

The desire to take a tough stance against China is one of the few genuinely bipartisan attitudes in the perpetually divided U.S. Congress, and members of Congress have filed scores of laws to address rivalry with China's communist regime.

The "Taiwan Protection and National Resilience Act," which would demand reports from government departments on U.S. options to get ready for and react to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, was also passed by the Foreign Relations panel.

China claims the democratic self-governing island of Taiwan as part of its own territory. It has expanded its use of military, diplomatic, and economic coercion to impose its claims on democratically ruled Taiwan.

Taiwan vehemently rejects China's claims to sovereignty and maintains that only the island's residents have the authority to choose its future.

Image source: Reuters