China
Britain had excercised a great deal of influence in the Chinese trade and in the internal affairs of China. But by the end of the century this dominance was being challenged, particularly by Russia, who were eager to expand eastwards if they were not allowed to expand into the Balkans. 1897 - Germany aquired port of Kiao-chow, and Russia Port Arthur, which led the British to aquire Wei-Hai-Wei - midway between the two. Salisbury obtained from the Chinese government an almost complete monopoly of the trade in the commercially important Yangtze river valley. In order that the Euro powers should not engage in a series of wars as they tried to aquire areas of influence in China, Salisbury arranged with Germany, Russia, and France that each should have certain areas as spheres of influence.
Burma
Continued the expansion, when in 1886 the British conquered the remainder of Burma and in 1896 forced the ruler of Siam to grant to British spheres of influence in both North and South Siam.
The USA
1892 Salisbury agreed to submit to arbitration the dispute which existed between the USA and Britain over the sea fishing rights in the Bering Straits. Tribunal rejected the USA's claims and agreed that British seal fishers were entitled to fish in the Straits. In 1880 - USA and Britain jointly build a canal across the isthmus of Panama. By 1901 Salisbury agreed to surrender British rights under this agreement and the USA began to build the Panama Canal.
1895 - 6 - British dispute with Venezuela over the boundary with British Guiana. USA threatened to act as "big brother" for V, and was settled in British favour by international arbitration in 1899.
1898 - USA went to war with Spain over Cuba and Puerto Rico. Salisbury remained neutral and in doing so prevented France and Germany from going to Spains aid.
Salisbury and the "Scramble for Africa"
After 1887 Salisbury had become a committed Imperialist. Issued charters to several British companies and gave his support for them. 1896 Fashoda Crisis - Salisbury remained firm during the standoff between the British and French armies in the Sudan. French withdrew and acknowledged British supremacy in the Sudan.
Foreign Alliances
Salisbury rejected Bismarcks suggestion of a formal alliance although he did recognise that Germanys main enemy - France, was Britains main rival in Africa and the Far East. He had no desire to enter into any foreign alliances with any power which is probably why many have described his policy as "splendid isolation". However, the events of the Boer war showed that britain could not afford to stand aloof from the system of alliances that was dividing europe. If Britain had struggled to beat a small number of dutch farmers, what would have happened if Germany had sent a whole army. Chamberlain was eager to make a formal alliance with Germany and the USA which would have created an Anglo-Saxon alliance, but these overtures were rejected. Britain therefore signed an alliance with Japan in 1902 which gave Japan a free hand to expand into the far east which gave britain an anti russian ally in case of a war between the two.
