Describe Secretary of State John Hay’s rationale for his Open Door not

Describe Secretary of State John Hay’s rationale for his Open Door notes.

What will be an ideal response?

ANSWER
Hay feared that the imperial powers would dismember China and use their spheres of influence to freeze the United States out of the China market. The Open Door notes attempted to guarantee the United States access to the China market and to protect the territorial integrity of China.