What did the open door policy in china do?

Answer 1

Opened The Door

Answer 2

The Chinese Open Door Policy was a major event in recent Chinese history. The Open Door Policy, argued for by John Hay’s Open Door Notes, advocated an impartial system of taxation, set up a system of equal trading rights, and prevented European nations from carving China into separate colonies. Although the Open Door Notes was not written with Chinese interests at heart, it greatly benefitted China in the long run. The Open Door Notes was a very influential document in Chinese history. Written at the turn of the century by Secretary of State, John Hay, the Open Door Notes was a letter that was sent to all nations with interests in China. After acquiring the Philippines, the United States gained interest in the vast resources of Asia. John Hay states in his Open Door Notes that, “Earnestly desirous to remove any cause of irritation and to [e]nsure at the same time to the commerce of all nations in China... shall enjoy perfect equality of treatment for their commerce and navigation within such spheres.” The purpose of writing the document was to reduce the power countries had gained from their spheres of influence. The United States had no spheres of influence in China because it had just recently taken interest in Asia. Therefore, John Hay sought to prevent other countries from having more power than the United States. Although many nations did not like the letter, all countries to which it was sent, except Japan, had expressed approval at the ideas and goals that it espoused. Even though some of the ideas it presented were unpopular with the Imperialist nations, the Open Door Policy was a very event document in Chinese history. In the Open Door Notes, John Hay suggested indiscriminate taxation between nations. Hay defined indiscriminate taxation as not imposing taxes based on nationality. Many countries at the time had strong power in their spheres of influence, and some even believed that the spheres of influence were colonies that belonged to European powers. Therefore, the European nations would charge harbor and railroad taxes to everyone except themselves. For example, Britain might charge an American boat to dock in one of its spheres of influence, but allow a British ship to dock free. In the Open Door Notes, John Hay states, “[A European Power] will levy no higher harbor dues on vessels of another nationality frequenting any port in such sphere that shall be levied on vessels of its own nationality…” Later, he states that the same policy should be put into place for railroad dues. Hay hoped to discourage the European powers from charging dues for things such as harbour use and railroad use because the Europeans would not want to lose trade from their own countries by having high taxes. Later on, he states that the Chinese have the right to impose tariffs on all goods that move through Chinese ports. Therefore, by discouraging Europeans from taxation, and advocating the Chinese’s rights to taxation, taxation in China could become the exclusive right of the Chinese. This portion of the Open Door Notes was intended to lower taxes and give America an equal chance to trade with China, but by granting China the exclusive right to taxation, it definitely benefited the Chinese in the long run. Before the adoption of the Open Door Policy some European nations would not allow other nations into their sphere of influences, but this was put to an end after the Open Door Policy came into effect. This was often done so the nation that controlled a sphere of influence was the only nation that would benefit from it with no other nations using its resources. One of the goals set forth in Hay’s Open Door Notes is that a controlling nation, within its sphere of influence, cannot interfere with the interests of another nation. As a result of significant adherence to the policies set forth in the Open Door Notes, trade began to increase in China at this time. Additionally, China would make more money, because the Open Door Policy gave them rights to charge tariffs on the increased trade. Before this time, the United States was largely unable to trade with China, but observation of the Open Door Policy allowed the United States to increase trade and eventually become China’s biggest trading partner. This portion of the Open Door Notes was written to give America trading access to China, but it ended up greatly benefitting China by encouraging increased trade with many countries. The Open Door Policy limited to powers of foreign nations in China, thereby preventing Europe from carving China into separate colonies. These separate colonies would likely have given birth to vastly different economic zones in a once united area, thereby fragmenting China’s uniform policies. The Open Door Notes spoke against foreign nations’ policy of taxing trade within their spheres of influence, which was one of the main reasons countries wanted their spheres of influence. By including a section in the Open Door Notes that advocated giving everyone equal trade access, John Hay had addressed yet another major reason that countries wanted to keep their spheres of influence. John Hay wrote a second Open Door Notes discussing military policy and Chinese sovereignty. Written in 1900, this letter argued for limitation on the military power of European nations within their spheres of influence. Without these three major powers, of rights to taxation, exclusive trade rights, and military access, European nations had few reasons to stay in China, and even fewer to colonize it. The only benefits they still received in China were from the now equal trading rights they held. As a result of the Open Door Policy European nations no longer needed their own spheres of influence to benefit from trade. Adherence to the Open Door Notes effectively stopped countries from colonizing China, by removing the incentives for colonization, and this kept China as one united, sovereign nation. The Open Door Notes was an important document, and it greatly benefitted China. The systems of impartial taxation, equal trade rights, and no colonization allowed China to remain united, and prosper. Even though John Hay’s Open Door Notes were written to help America, they ended up greatly improving the development of China, as well as allowing the United States equal trade rights.