Chinese Open Door Policy

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The Chinese Open Door Policy was a major event in recent Chinese history, because The Open Door Policy that was argued for by John Hay’s Open Door Notes, advocated an impartial system of taxation to 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 benefited 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]ensure 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
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