The United States in the Asia-Pacific, 1895-1905: The Limits of a Rising Power

• In Event: Factors and Causes Shaping Great Powers

Abstract

Where do rising powers expand? Existing theories focusing on national interest cannot provide a satisfying answer. This paper suggests a new concept, “accessibility”—the ability of a state to project power to different places—and tests it by examining U.S. policy in the Asia-Pacific region during the critical decade between 1895 and 1905. Drawing from both primary and secondary sources, it makes three observations. First, the United States acquired more territories in the Pacific where its economic and strategic interests were much smaller than the Atlantic. Second, U.S. annexation of the Philippines was not premeditated, but it created and justified new interests in the Asia-Pacific. Third, the United States pursued a modest policy in the Asian continent, due primarily to its limited accessibility. Therefore, a set of events—the Open Door policy, involvement in the Boxer Uprising, and diplomacy during the Russo-Japanese War—were examples of U.S. limited means, not expansionary policy reflective of its rising stature. These findings suggest that analysts should focus less on intention, but more on milieu, path-dependence, and contingency. They also shed light on where today’s China might expand.

Author

• Jaehan Park, Johns Hopkins University