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Changes
→Asia
==Asia==
==Asia==
[[History of Japan|Japan]] had a rigorously enforced policy that isolated the country from nearly all foreign contacts in the Tokugawa period (1603 – 1867).
[[History of Japan|Japan]] had a rigorously enforced policy that isolated the country from nearly all foreign contacts in the Tokugawa period (1603 – 1867). The goal was to prevent Christianity from entering, as well as other dangerous ideas. The problem is that Japan became militarily so backward it could not defend itself.
During the years 1840-99, Chinese intellectuals' growing awareness of [[History of China|China's]] precarious status in a world of increasingly powerful competing nation-states led them to question China's traditional isolationism and to advocate the adoption of Western technology and institutions.
During the years 1840-99, Chinese intellectuals' growing awareness of [[History of China|China's]] precarious status in a world of increasingly powerful competing nation-states led them to question China's traditional isolationism and to advocate the adoption of Western technology and institutions.
[[Korea]] was the "Hermit Kingdom" that largely cut itself off from all outside contacts until the 1880s.
[[Korea]] was the "Hermit Kingdom" that largely cut itself off from all outside contacts until the 1880s.
Today [[Burma]] (or Myanmar) and [[North Korea]] strictly limit contacts. North Korea, however, has an aggressive foreign policy that threatens its neighbors South Korea and Japan--and also the U.S.--with missiles and perhaps even nuclear weapons.
Today [[Burma]] (or Myanmar) and [[North Korea]] strictly limit contacts. North Korea, however, has an aggressive foreign policy that threatens its neighbors South Korea and Japan--and also the U.S.--with missiles and perhaps even nuclear weapons.
==Other countries==
===Morocco===
During the reign of Moulay Slimane (1792-1822), the experience of the Napoleonic wars demonstrated the military might of the European powers and the weakness of Morocco. As a result, the sultan began a purely defensive, even isolationist, policy that sought to sever all of the country's ties to Europe and, at the same time, to curtail any possible provocations (for example, he forbade any further activity by Moroccan corsairs). This isolationism was characteristic of Morocco for the rest of the 19th century.
==Switzerland==
==Switzerland==
Since 1815 Switzerland has conspicuously distanced itself from the international community. It remained neutral in all wars. It has rejected membership in the UN and participation in the European Economic Area treaty and UN peacekeeping operations; and it remains outside the European Union. It remains one of the world’s major banking centers, and serves as the neutral host of many international agencies and meetings.
Since 1815 Switzerland has conspicuously distanced itself from the international community. It remained neutral in all wars. It has rejected membership in the UN and participation in the European Economic Area treaty and UN peacekeeping operations; and it remains outside the European Union. It remains one of the world’s major banking centers, and serves as the neutral host of many international agencies and meetings.