Statement of U.S. foreign policy toward China. Issued by U.S. secretary of state John Hay (1899), the statement reaffirmed the principle that all countries should have equal access to any Chinese port open to trade. The U.S. sent notes to Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia explaining the policy to prevent them from establishing separate spheres of influence in China. Their replies were evasive, but the U.S. considered them acceptances of the policy. Japan's violation of the policy in 1937 led the U.S. to impose an oil embargo. The policy was discontinued with the communist takeover of China in 1949
with reference to a nation whose policy is wholly or partially fixed by nations foreign to itself, or to territory newly acquired by a conquering nation
If a country or organization has an open-door policy towards people or goods, it allows them to come there freely, without any restrictions. reformers who have advocated an open door economic policy. Open door is also a noun. an open door to further foreign investment
broke through an open door; pushed for a certain solution that was already applied, pushed for a particular opportunity that was already made available