The Open Door Policy In The Late 19th Century

The Open Door Policy is a term in foreign affairs initially used to refer to the United States policy established in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, and dispatched to the major European powers. The policy planned to keep China open to trade with all countries, keeping any one power from total control of the country, and calling upon all powers, within their circles of power, to refrain from meddling with any treaty port or any bestowed interest, to permit Chinese authorities to collect tariffs on an equal basis, and to show no favors to their own nationals in the matter of harbor dues or railroad charges. The Open Door policy was rooted in the desire of U.S. businesses to trade with Chinese markets, though it also tapped the …show more content…
One country that all empire-building powers wanted to control was China. During the late 19th century, the Chinese government was in a fragile state, and different countries had designated spheres of influence inside of China. Spheres of influence are areas of economic and political control. Among the Europeans, Japanese and Americans, there was intense competition to exert control over China - countries that were literally carving the nation into pieces. Great Britain, for example, controlled the city of Hong Kong. It was kind of like the classic childhood game, King of the Hill, in which the players compete to see who can remain atop some 'hill' the longest. During the Age of Imperialism, it seemed as if nearly every country was competing to be top dog in China. In my opinion, the Open Door policy has changed Chinas and the United States in a big way. Our relationship with China is now stronger and out alliance with them is much more binding and that is what we need. To have China has an ally is something the United States needed. The Open Door Policy was a stepping stone to that accomplishment. It opened the door for new relationships and it led China and the United States to having a good relationship