8.1.2.4
The Open Door Policy
GLOSSARY
Perfect Competition – An economic theory which describes a market where no participants are large enough to have the market power to set the price of a homogeneous product.
Open Door Policy (1899) – A concept in foreign affairs allowing multiple imperial powers to trade with China without interference in the free use of the treaty ports within their spheres of influence in China.
Treaty of Nanking (1842) –Treaty signed after the defeat of China at the First Opium War; an unequal and humiliating treaty that forced China to open more ports to the British and pay a huge war indemnity among other clauses..
Imperialism – Political and geographical domination of one nation over another nation; it is the desire of one country to acquire colonies and dependencies overseas.
Capitalism – An economic and social system in which trade and industry are privately owned and controlled for profit rather than by the state.
Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895) –Treaty signed between Japan and China after the First Sino-Japanese; a humiliating treaty whereby China had to pay a huge war indemnity and recognize full autonomy of Korea.
Opium Wars – Wars between the 1840 to 1860 between western imperialists and the Ching rulers with the aim of getting trade rights in China..
Boxer Movement (1900) – Peasant uprising that took place in China, led by the secret society called ‘Boxers’ against the foreign missionaries, foreign industrialization and the Manchu government.
First Sino-Japanese War – War between China and Japan in 1894-95 over the control of Korea.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870 – 1924) – Russian revolutionist, communist politician, principal leader of the Russian revolution and the first head of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic.
OBJECTIVES
The students will:
- Learn about the background of the Open Door Policy
- Understand the meaning of the Open Door Policy
- Realize the consequences of the Open Door Policy in China
SUMMARY
Since the days of the Opium Wars, the European powers proceeded with the singular aim of opening China. Immediately after the defeat of China in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Western powers wasted no time in slicing China into their respective spheres of influence. The Americans initially looked uninterested in China but towards the end of the 19th century they wanted a slice of the Chinese melon too. With industrial advancement the American industrialists were looking for new places of investment and market. China’s vast market was a tempting proposition and the Ching rulers were virtually ineffective. Many Americans in the 1890s boasted of the fact that the USA, unlike European powers, had never fought wars and seized colonies in Asia. But in reality, American missionaries and traders secured and maintained their special privileges there, with the help of the British navy.
John Hay, the US Secretary of State, declared the Open Door Policy in September 1899. Although the policy was declared by USA, historians say that the real innovator was Great Britain.According to the Hay Doctrine free commercial opportunity should be enjoyed by all the western powers in China. They would not interfere with local administration. In the open ports the customs department of China would collect the tariff according to agreement without any foreign intervention and no foreign power would impose any discriminatory tariff on the commercial goods of other countries.
FAQs
1. How did the western powers open China for commercial gains?
The opening up of China began with the signing of the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. The Convention of Peking signed in 1860 completed the process which turned China into a semi-colonial country.
2. What was the position of the Americans in China before the Open Door Policy?
The Americans did not interfere in the affairs of China initially. Only the American missionaries and the traders enjoyed the benefits of the British free trade empire and their interests had been protected by the British navy. They did not have to bear much responsibility for it.
3. How did the American economy change after the American Civil War?
America was turned into a highly developed industrial country from a primarily agricultural country after the Civil War. The American industrialists got interested in getting hold of external markets for absorbing their industrial products. Moreover American industrialists had amassed huge amounts of capital and so it was natural that they would be eager to find new areas of investment.
4. Name the places in the Pacific occupied by America after defeating Spain.
After defeating Spain the Americans occupied the two Spanish possessions in the Pacific, – Philippines and Guam and later Hawaii.
5. What were the areas occupied by Russia after the Treaty of Shimonoseki?
Russia took away Mongolia, Manchuria, Port of Sakhalin and Port Darren from China after the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
6. What was the difference between Indian colonization and Chinese colonization?
India was a colony of the British power alone and there was no Indian government. The English East India Company governed India and then after 1857 India had come directly under the British crown. But this did not happen in China. There was always a Chinese government ruled by the Ching Dynasty, whilethe imperialist powers had several spheres of influence.
7. Describe the relation shared by the imperialist powers among themselves in China.
When the imperialist countries fought against China they came to an understanding that China was the common enemy that had to be suppressed. The principle guiding force of the alliance was their own interest. When the interest among them clashed they were hostile to each other.
8.Highlight the salient points of the Open Door Policy.
The Open Door Policy essentially emphasized three major points,- a) no foreign interference with local administration in the spheres of influence would be allowed; b) in the open ports the customs department of China would collect tariff and there should be no foreign intervention and c)no foreign power would impose any discriminatory tariff on the commercial goods of other countries in their respective spheres on influence.
9.How did the Chinese react to the Open Door Policy?
Within a few weeks of the declaration of the Hay Doctrine, the Boxer Rebellion broke out. The Boxer rebels of China unleashed brutal attacks on the foreigners. Churches were destroyed and lives and property of the foreigners attacked, thereby endangering foreign existence in China.The Ching government however remained indifferent to the introduction of Open Door Policy in their country.
10.What was the main content of the second note on the Open Door Policy?
In the second note of the Open Door Policy it was categorically stated that the territorial and administrative integrity and entity of China must be preserved and protected at any cost.
QUIZ_Complete
1. The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed between China and
A) SpainB) Japan C) America
2. Open Door Policy in China was declared in
A) 1899 B) 1900 C) 1895
3. Manchuria was occupied by
A) Britain B) Japan C) Russia
4. The Open Door Policy was on the basis of
A) Perfect Competition B) Monopoly C) Imperfect Competition
5. The first proposal of Open Door Policy was rejected by
A) John HayB) John Shermann C) W.W. Rockhill
6. The advisor to the Secretary of State, John Hay was
A) A.E. Hippisley B) Julian Pauncefote C) W.W. Rockhill
7. Philippines was initially under the possession of
A) America B) Spain C) France
8. The Chinese reaction to the Hay Doctrine was the
A) Opium War B) Taiping RebellionC) Boxer Rebellion
9. Owen and Eleanor Lattimore wrote the book
A) ‘Imperialism’ B) ‘The Making of Modern China’ C) ‘Hay Doctrine’
10. ‘Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism’ was written by
A) Lenin B) Hobson C) Chesneaux
ASSIGNMENT
1.Highlight the condition of China after the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
2.Assess the background of the Open Door Policy.
3.Explain why Britain is considered to be the real innovator of the Open Door Policy.
4. Trace the birth of the Hay Doctrine.
5.Trace the history of western exploitation of China from the Opium Wars to the declaration of the Open Door Policy.
8.1.2.4
The Open Door Policy
The Open Door Policy in China introduced by the USA
The Open Door Policy in China hailed the principle of perfect competition and free trade in China. USA had certain ulterior motives to have a slice over the Chinese melon.
Background of Open Door Policy in China
Since the days of the Opium War the western powers proceeded with the singular aim of opening China. The opening up of China began with the signing of the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. The Convention of Peking signed in 1860 completed the process and China was turned into a semi-colonial country. The Ching government miserably failed to put up a stiff resistance against western aggression. Eventually they submitted to the pressure of western imperialism. However the Ching court with the intention of refurbishing its tarnished image took certain measures. But all such efforts were exercises in futility.
Similarly the attempt for self strengthening China was again a failure. China faced a disastrous defeat in the hands of a small power like Japan in 1894-95 in the First Sino-Japanese War. China had to concede certain unfavourable and humiliating terms and conditions in the Treaty of Shimonoseki signed in 1895. It was a severe blow to the Chinese prestige. The defeat of China in the hands of a small neighbour like Japan thoroughly exposed the Chinese weakness. The western imperialists wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation.
What did they do? They tried their best to partition China into their respective spheres of influence. In no time powers like Britain, Russia, France and Germany divided China into their respective spheres of influence. But so long the USA was not interested in getting a slice over the Chinese melon. But towards the end of the 1890s there was a change. In fact even in the 1890s the Americans boasted of the fact that they did never wage a war against any Asian power and colonized any area of Asia. But certain changes took place during the closing years of the 1890s.
Though America did not interfere in the affairs of East Asia particularly China, the American missionaries and the traders enjoyed the benefit of the British free trade empire and their interests had been protected by the British navy. But the Americans did not have to bear much responsibility for it. But in the 1890s there was a significant change in the US foreign policy. According to a famous historian John K. Fairbank, ‘The American people were more susceptible to the imperialist virus than they liked to think.’
In fact in the second half of the 19th century particularly after the American Civil War there was a change in the internal history of USA. America gradually became an industrially advanced country and towards the end of the 19th century America was turned into a highly developed industrial country in a primarily agricultural country. The American industrialists got interested in getting the external markets for absorbing their industrial products. Moreover they amassed huge amount of capital. So it was natural that the American industrialists were in search for new areas of investment. So the search for new markets and new areas of investment led America to take an aggressive policy towards other countries as well.
In 1898 America launched an attack on Spain and waged a war against Spain. Eventually after defeating Spain they occupied two Spanish possessions in the Pacific – Philippines and Guam. Furthermore the American planters and missionaries induced the US government to capture the Hawaiian Islands in the same year. A protest movement broke out in Philippines against the American troops. When the Americans invaded Spain the Philippinos helped the American troops because they wanted to liberate themselves from the Spanish chain. But they wanted to reject a new master as well. They also did not like the American domination. So there was resistance and protest movement in Philippines. The US troops brutally suppressed the movement of the Philippines.
Then again a new phase in the American history began. Then America turned her eyes towards China and became interested in having a slice of the Chinese melon. But at that time i.e. during the closing years of the 19th century the USA was not that powerful to monopolize the vast and unlimited Chinese market. Moreover it was equally impossible for the USA to turn the Pacific into an American lane. Apart from this there was a hostile public opinion about America after her war against Spain and the ruthless suppression on the Philippines. As hostile public reaction broke out the public opinion within the USA went against the US government. Hence the US government wanted to proceed in a more diplomatic manner with much care and without haste.
The first step was the declaration of the Open Door Policy in China in September 1899. It was declared by American Secretary of State, John Hay. As it was declared by John Hay it has been termed by the historians as the Hay Doctrine.
China had been divided into spheres of influence since the days of the Opium Wars. But after China’s defeat by Japan, particularly Britain, Russia, Germany and France became very aggressive. For example Japan took the death of a missionary as a pretext and waged a war against China and declared some areas as hers. Russia took away Mongolia, Manchuria, Port of Sakhalin, Port Darren. There was nobody to protest.
The western imperialist powers made their own arrangement in China. The Ching government was at bay. It had nothing to say. China was already turned into a semi-colonial country and towards the end of the 19th century there were several spheres of influence, some by Germany, some area by England, some by Russia and some by France. Their own law and tariff system continued and they dominated and occupied China though there was an independent Chinese government.
There are some differences between India and China in this regard. India was the colony of the British power alone and there was no Indian government. First English East India Company governed India and then after 1857 India came directly under the British Crown. But this did not happen in China. There was a Chinese government by the Ching Dynasty. But there were several spheres of influence. This has been termed by historians as ‘cutting of the Chinese melon’. This was the blatant exposure of imperialism in China in the later part of the 19th century.
When these imperialist countries fought against China they made a kind of make-shift alliance among themselves. But the principle guiding force of the alliance was their own interest. When the interest among them clashed one was hostile to the other. For example when Japan defeated China, Japan wanted Port Arthur and Darren. Russia opposed it. When Russia took it then Great Britain opposed Russia. When China was the common enemy then there was an understanding but there was no such alliance. All of them were imperialist powers and were self-seeking. They wanted to loot the Chinese wealth.
Hay Doctrine
John Hay, the US Secretary of State, declared the Open Door Policy in September 1899. Though the Open Door Policy had been introduced by the USA it has been argued by a group of historians that the real innovator of the Open Door Policy was not the USA but Great Britain. Great Britain from the very beginning was very apprehensive of the fact that the partition of China into several spheres of influence might hamper her free trade interest on the basis of Perfect Competition. Being industrially the most advanced country Britain realized that it would be inimical to her commercial interest if the other powers in their respective spheres of influence would deter Britain to make any free trade. It was the apprehension and fear of Britain from the very beginning. So, Britain did not want that China should be partitioned in the spheres of influence of several powers. But the reality said the opposite. It was not possible for Britain to monopolize everything.
The other powers were active there. Britain was very apprehensive of Tsarist Russia. Russia made Manchuria their own colony. Russia was very active in Mongolia and it disturbed the British free trade. So from the very beginning Britain had the apprehension that her free trade on the basis of Perfect Competition might be hampered in the spheres of influence of the other powers. But the partition was on the anvil, it was imperative. It was not possible for Britain to avoid partition under any circumstances. So Britain had no other alternative but to turn to America.