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Should The United States Demand For Opium In China

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Recommended: Effects on china due to the opium war

The Chinese were first introduced to opium, a drug cultivated from poppy flowers, in the 7th century by Arabian or Turkish traders. It was used medicinally to relieve pain and other minor medical problems up until it was discovered that by mixing opium with tobacco, it could be ingested recreationally. As more Chinese citizens became addicted to opium, the demand increased which created so many problems that the Emperor prohibited the sale of opium in China. Because opium not being delivered to China by any other empire, because of the strict bans, the British East India Company saw an opportunity that could be exploited. Prior to the high demand for opium, Britain had unequal trade with China because the British demand for porcelain and other Chinese goods more than the Chinese wanted anything being exported from Britain. …show more content…

British traders would trade the opium with local traders who traded only between India and China, who would then smuggle the opium through the Chinese border. So much opium was being smuggled into China that it became a problem that could not be ignored by the Chinese Government. The Qing dynasty fought two wars over the trade of opium, called the first and second Opium Wars. The goal of both wars was on China’s end, to end the trade of opium in China, while the goal of the British was to force opium into the country so that trade would be equal among the countries. China lost both of the Opium Wars, but was ultimately able to eradicate the trade and use of Opium when the communist party came to

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