China: I don’t really want-
British: (Loads gun)
this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2026
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Explanation: In the 19th century AD, British demand for silk, porcelain, and especially the dangerous drug known as TEA, outstripped its ability to pay for it. Not for a lack of wealth in general, mind you, but because the closed economic system of China had little interest in most British industrial goods, only their silver.
To remedy this trade imbalance, the British began selling one of the few things China would accept at the time... opium. They grew and sold so much opium, in fact, that the price of opium inside of China dropped like a rock, causing more people to use it, causing more people to get addicted, causing more demand for opium, causing... well, the British to grow more.
When China decided to crack down on opium imports, Britain started two wars in defense of their right to deal drugs.
Finally, someone joining the war on drugs on the right side /s
In my university class on modern China, we read Imperial Twilight during the section on the opium wars. It’s incredibly readable for such a dense topic, and really goes into all of the build up.