Editing Chinese Exclusion Act (section)

=== US–China relations ===
In the American effort to change many aspects of the [[Burlingame Treaty]], the US took advantage of China's weakened position on the international stage. China was dealing with various challenging situations, such as the French government establishing a protectorate over Vietnam, which was a [[Tributary state|tributary country]] to China for a long time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=K. W. |title=A History of the Vietnamese |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-521-87586-8 |chapter=The French conquest}}</ref> More importantly, it faced the [[Senkaku Islands dispute]] with Japan. Ex-President Ulysses S. Grant visited China in 1879, Viceroy [[Li Hongzhang]], an important diplomat, told Grant that if the US helped China pressure the Japanese out of Senkaku Islands, he would make a concession on the Chinese immigration issue. This paved the way for the [[Angell Treaty of 1880]], which greatly diminished Chinese immigrants' rights and interests.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wickberg |first=Edgar |date=August 1985 |title=China and the Overseas Chinese in the United States, 1868–1911. By Shihshan Henry Tsai. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1983. ix, 116 pp. Tables, Illustrations, Appendixes, Glossary, Bibliographical Note, Index. $17.50. |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=829–830 |doi=10.2307/2056473 |jstor=2056473 |s2cid=147093748}}</ref> The Angell Treaty opened the door for the complete prohibition of Chinese immigrants, as politicians realized that the immigrant question was not a priority for the Chinese government, and that China was weak, meaning that even if they had violate the treaties, China would not invade or create major problems. Overall, this shows how the US used its foreign relations with China to achieve its own domestic objectives.

Prior to the approval of the act, relations between China and the United States were generally positive. This was mainly because of the Burlingame Treaty, a treaty which included the right of Chinese people to free immigration and travel within the US, and protection of Chinese citizens residing in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Office of the Historian |date=n.d. |title=The Burlingame-Seward Treaty, 1868 |url=https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/burlingame-seward-treaty}}</ref> Moreover, the treaty gave the two countries reciprocal access to education and schooling when living in the other country. Although the US viewed China as an inferior partner, nevertheless the relationship was positive. American politicians and presidents continued to maintain and uphold the treaty, for example, President Rutherford B. Hayes vetoed bills that contrasted the Burlingame Treaty.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Office of the Historian |title=Chinese Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Acts |url=https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration}}</ref> As tensions grew domestically in the US however, Hayes began a revision of the Treaty and China agreed to limit immigration to the US However, once discussions began to enforce the Chinese Exclusion Act, and the law was then passed, "the Chinese Government considered this a direct insult".<ref name="Milestones">{{Cite web |last=Office of the Historian |title=Milestones: 1866–1898 |url=https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration}}</ref> Furthermore, when the US extended the law to [[Territory of Hawaii|Hawaii]] and the [[Insular Government of the Philippine Islands|Philippines]] in 1902, this was greatly objected by the Chinese government and people, who viewed America as a bullish and imperial power who undermined China.<ref name="Milestones" />