China dropped two places to 17th in the latest World Competitiveness Yearbook compiled by Swiss business school IMD, but its position study in chinahas generally continued rising in recent years, the compilers said yesterday.This year's drop isn't statistically significant, and "China has been on the upward path" in recent years, IMD World Competitiveness Center research fellow Suzanne Rosselet said. In 1995, China ranked 34th.Rosselet said many factors have contributed to the drop, such as domestic price hikes and the environmental costs of development.The US continued to top the competitiveness rankings for the 15th consecutive year despite signs its economy is declining.