American Diplomacy in
Asia
Chapter 14 Section 3
American Diplomacy in Asia
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By 1899—US was the third largest
navy in the world
The nation’s primary interest in Asia
was commerce not conquering
The Open Door Policy
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Sino-Japanese War  Japan (easily)
defeated China (who had a massive
military) for control of Korea
• Japan also got Manchuria
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Russians concerned about Japan
• Manchuria bordered Russia
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Russia got France and Germany to
back them up and forced Japan to
return Manchuria
The Open Door Policy
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1898—Russia demanded China lease the
territory to Russia
• Leasing a territory  still belonged to China,
but foreign gov’t had overall control
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Germany, France, and Britain demanded
“leaseholds” in China, too
Sphere of influence—an area where a
foreign nation controlled economic
development
Open Door Policy
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U.S. didn’t like all this “sphere of
influence” business
Open Door Policy—everyone should be
allowed to trade with China
1899—Secretary of State, John Hay, sent
notes to countries with leaseholds in China
asking them not to discriminate against
other nations wanting to do business in
their sphere of influence
The Boxer Rebellion
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Secret Chinese societies organized to fight
foreign control
Society of Harmonious Fists (Boxers)
• 1900
• Decided to destroy both “foreign devils” and
Chinese Christian converts
• Besieged foreign embassies, killed over 200
foreigners and took others prisoner
• After German ambassador to China killed,
eight nations decided to take action
The Boxer Rebellion
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8 nations: Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, and
U.S.
2nd Open Door Notes—Hays convinced
participating powers to accept
compensation from China for damages
instead of turning all of China into colonies
U.S. retained access to China’s lucrative
trade in tea, spices, and silk as well as the
Chinese market for U.S. goods