preview

John Hay Open Door Policy

Decent Essays

The Open Door Policy China was in political and economic disarray as the end of the 19th century approached, the giant was not recognized by the major powers, who were busy fighting over trading privileges and plotting how the country would be partitioned. The nations sought for spheres of influence and claimed rights in China. The United States took far more concern after the Spanish-American War, after coming into possession of the philippines. In 1898, President McKinley stated his desire for the Open Door Policy that would allow all nations to access the Chinese market. The next year, Secretary of State John Hay sought a formal endorsement of the concept by circulating notes among the major powers. The Open Door Policy called for …show more content…

He asked them to keep their ports open to vessels of all nations on equal terms with with equal tariffs on all imports and to charge equal railroad rates within their spheres of influence. Since none of these powers wished to state publicly that it intended to discriminate against the trade of other countries, none chose to dispute these points. Hay then announced that the “open door” had been “guaranteed.” In the U.S., he was credited with having won a great diplomatic victory. However, Hay’s notes did not protect China from being cut up into spheres of influence where foreign powers had exclusive rights to build railroads and exploit the natural resources. Hay’s well-publicized diplomacy popularized the expansionist aims of the McKinley administration. (Schlesinger et al. …show more content…

In support of Chinese territorial and administrative integrity the statement was issued as circular notes dispatched by U.S. Secretary of State John Hay to Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia. The Open Door policy was approved by almost everyone in the United States, and for more than 40 years it was a cornerstone of American foreign policy in East Asia. This stated that all countries should have equal access to any of the trading ports and they could not charge someone more than the other. Within each of those spheres the controlling major power claimed exclusive privileges of investment, and it was feared that each would likewise seek to monopolize the trade. It was generally feared that the breakup of China into economic segments dominated by various great powers would lead to complete subjection and the division of the country into colonies. (“Open Door

Get Access