The Middle Kingdom had been divided into “spheres of influence” by the European powers. American business feared missing out on this huge untapped market.
On Sept. 6, 1899, McKinley issued the Open Door Note, demanding the Europeans allow China to become “an open market for the commerce of the world.” This wasn’t free trade in the modern sense, simply a right for all to share in the pillaging of China’s dying Qing dynasty.
Today, the Chinese consider this era part of its “Century of Humiliation.” It drives leader Xi Jinping in his dealings with the West.
~ Kenneth G. Pringle, "McKinley Is a Conservative Darling. Why Trump Admires the 25th President," Barron's, February 2, 2025
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