World Affairs
Sphere of influence, or sometimes zone of influence or sphere of interest, is a diplomatic term denoting an area in which a foreign power (or powers) maintains rights superior to those of a host nation. This concept became recognized in international law during the “scramble for Africa” in the 1880s, when the great powers carved up the continent for commercial exploitation. Later it was applied to the Far East, notably in China. The Open Door policy, while appearing on the surface to be anticolonial, tended to support the existence of spheres of influence.
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