Japan and the Open Door Policy

Report Outline
Fears for Future of Open Door in China
Evolution of the Open Door Policy
Japan's China Policy and the Open Door
Closing of Trade Doors in Manchukuo
Special Focus

Fears for Future of Open Door in China

Creation under Japanese auspices of a new Central Government of China with its capital at Peiping, superseding the present Peiping and Nanking provisional regimes, is expected in the near future. It has been predicted that formation of the new government will mean eventually the almost complete elimination of American and other foreign economic interests in China. In a strongly worded note delivered in Tokyo on October 6, 1938, the United States protested measures already taken in China discriminating against American rights and interests. The Japanese reply, not given until November 18, was characterized by Secretary of State Hull as “not responsive to the position of the United States.”

Commenting on the Japanese reply, the American Association of Shanghai stated that “Americans in China do not doubt for a moment Japan's dire intentions to throttle or expel American commercial activity and to control to their own ends missionary and philanthropic enterprises in this country.” The American Chamber of Commerce at Tenting adopted a resolution concluding “that unless the American government takes strong retaliatory action by such measures as will serve to definitely convince the Japanese government that the American government intends to keep the door to equal business opportunity in China open for American business that American business will be wiped out in China.”

A more reassuring attitude toward foreign business prospects in China was taken by Prime Minister Chamberlain of Great Britain in a statement in the House of Commons on November 1. He asserted that “China cannot be developed into a real market without the influx of a great deal of capital,” and that “it is quite certain that it cannot be supplied by Japan,”