China's recent economic reforms have opened its economy to the world. This policy, however, is not new: in the late nineteenth century, the United States put forward the Open Door Policy as a counter to European exclusive 'spheres of influence' in China. This book, based on extensive original archival research, examines and re-evaluates China's Open Door Policy. It considers the policy from its inception in 1899 right through to the post-1978 reforms. It relates these changes to the various shifts in China’s international relations, discusses how decades of foreign invasion, civil war and revolution followed the destruction of the policy in the 1920s, and considers how the policy, when applied in Taiwan after 1949, and by Deng Xiaoping in mainland China after 1978, was instrumental in bringing about, respectively, Taiwan's 'economic miracle' and mainland China’s recent economic boom. The book argues that, although the policy was characterised as United States 'economic imperialism' during the Cold War, in reality it helped China retain its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

There has been little examination of the China policy of the Theodore Roosevelt administration. Works dealing with the topic fall either into brief discussions in biographies of Roosevelt, general surveys of Sino-American relations, or studies of special topics, such as the Chinese exclusion issue, which encompass a portion of the Roosevelt years. Moreover, the subject has been overshadowed somewhat by studies of problems between Japan and the United States in this era. The goal of this study is to offer a more complete examination of the American relationship with China during Roosevelt’s presidency. The focus will be on the discussion of major issues and concerns in the relationship of the two nations from the time Roosevelt took office until he left, something that this book does for the first time. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on creating a more complete picture of Teddy Roosevelt and China relations, especially in regard to his and his advisers’ perceptual framework of that region and its impact upon the making of China policy. The goal of this study is to begin that process. Special attention is paid to the question of how Roosevelt and the members of his administration viewed China, as it is believed that their viewpoints, which were prejudicial, were very instrumental in how they chose to deal with China and the question of the Open Door. The emphasis on the role of stereotyping gives the book a particularly unique point of view. Readers will be made aware of the difficulties of making foreign policy under challenging conditions, but also of how the attitudes and perceptions of policymakers can shape the direction that those policies can take. A critical argument of the book is that a stereotyped perception of China and its people inhibited American policy responses toward the Chinese state in Roosevelt’s Administration. While Roosevelt’s attitudes regarding white supremacy have been discussed elsewhere, a fuller consideration of how his views affected the making of foreign policy, particularly China policy, is needed, especially now that Sino-American relations today are of great concern.

The Open Door has become an integral part of China's economicdevelopment strategy since the late 1970's, and, not surprisingly,it has aroused considerable interest in developed countries. This bookgives a sympathetic but critical survey of this policy, with particularattention to the problems that have prevented the Open Door from beingimplemented as rapidly as first intended.

This study describes the experiences of foreign-invested firms in the mainland Chinese economy and discusses the implications of those experiences for the foreign commercial policies of the industrial countries, including the United States. It draws on extensive interviews with expatriate managers and other professionals currently at work in China. Whereas recent books on Chinese marketplace conditions focus on a single firm or issue or lack a discussion of policy conclusions (because they are prepared for a commercial audience), this study is distinguished by the breadth of industry interviews and its concern for policy implications. Rosen makes a rare attempt to deduce the policy implications of current experiences of foreign firms in China, presenting conclusions that go beyond those found in today's usual policy debate. Behind the Open Door is a must for China specialists and should be read by anyone with general or business interests in China or the Asia-Pacific region. The book is an ideal text for MBA programs that focus on the region, and for political science and Asian studies courses on China.

This book is a scholarly yet highly readable account of the "middleman" role that Hong Kong has played in China's Open Door Policy. Dr. Sung develops a "Theory of Intermediation" to explain the paradoxical situation by which Hong Kong's role as intermediary in China's commodity trade is becoming more prominent in spite of the fact that since the development of the Open Door Policy in 1979, China has established many direct diplomatic, commercial and transportation links with the outside world. The book makes an important contribution to understanding China's various phases of economic reform and its interactions with global economic markets. Dr. Sung predicts that China's demands on Hong Kong's capacity as intermediary will increase dramatically after the handover in 1997.

The areas of foreign trade, foreign investment, economic aid, and special economic zones are examined in detail and the rapid improvement in the economy after the adoption of the Open Door policy is explained. After Mao's death in 1976, followed by the rapid overthrow of the Gang of Four, the way was open for his successors to choose which path to follow. This book examines the reasons for the complex series of changes in policy after 1949, demonstrates why the Cultural Revolution itself led to a need for major change, reveals the political and economic options open after the death of Mao, and shows why the Open Door policy was finally chosen. The factors involved in this decision include the backward state of the domestic economy, the struggles and infighting within domestic politics, and the wider sphere of international relations. China became communist in 1949 and following the lead of the Soviet Union, the leading communist nation of the day, established a centrally planned economy. Cracks in this soon began to emerge and by the mid 1950s a debate began about what was the proper way forward. Politics and economics became intertwined. The failure of the Great Leap Forward (1958-60) led to major economic problems and some starvation, and a more liberal political and economic line was adopted. The Great Leap Forward was the brainchild of Mao and its failure resulted in him being forced from centre stage. However, he fought back into power and initiated the Cultural Revolution in 1966. This period, exhilarating for some both in China and the West, had major negative effects on the economy and on much of society in general. For an author bio, photo, a sample read, and reviews, visit bosonbooks.com.