CHINA OPEN DOOR POLICY

Shanna, Allie, Danielle, Sarah

China's Qing Dynasty began to crumble- nations saw China as a weakened power and demanded trade

China Open Door Policy- Initiated by Secretary of State John Hay

Issued to Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Japan, France, and Italy

Requested that no nation with a sphere of influence use that power to benefit only itself

Involvement

Problem: Other nations were sectioning off parts of China for themselves

U.S. did not want other nations to gain too much power off of China

Wanted to ensure free access to China for U.S. political and business interests

Motives Main fear was that other countries would block off

U.S. trade with China

In 1898, president McKinley requested access to China, promising that he would not ask for any special advantages

This was in hopes to create free trade for all of the countries who wanted to trade with China

U.S. did not want territory in China, just the right to trade

Justifications

Americans believed:1. The growth of the economy depended on

exports

2. The U.S. had a right to intervene abroad to keep foreign markets open

3. Feared the closing of American products, citizens, or ideas threatened American survival

Reactions Shandong, China- a rebellion began in 1896,

ended in 1898

A group called the Boxers created anti-Christian hysteria

Hated all foreigners and tried to drive them out

Forts were built in Beijing to block out foreigners, they failed miserably

Final Result

Japan violated the Open Door principle with its Twenty-One Demands to China

Japan’s defeat in World War II and the communist victory in China’s civil war ended all special privileges to foreigners

The Open Door Policy has since remained meaningless

When it comes to the Open Door Policy, America acted as the Hemisphere’s Mafia Don

Intentions were played to be beneficial to the other countries- really America didn’t want to lose access to China

Actions were beneficial to China and U.S. only

China was a weak power and would have been taken advantage of by other countries if the U.S. had not intervened

Works Cited [Senate Foreign Relations Committee] Treaties, International

Acts, Protocols, and Agreements between The United States of America and other Powers 1776-1909 William M. Mallory, ed., Washington, 1910, vol. 1, pp. 246-247.

“Open Door Policy.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 07 Oct. 2010 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/429642/Open-Door-policy>.

“Open Door Policy" A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. Jan Palmowski. Oxford University Press, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. West Morris Mendham HS. 12 October 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t46.e1757>