From the days of the Silk Road

1. From the days of the Silk Road through the Age of Imperialism, Europeans were greatly interested in trade with China.

2. China was rich in resources and famous for its porcelain and silk.

3. But during the Age of Imperialism, Europeans wanted more than just trade with China. Europeans wanted to control valuable parts of China.

4. Europeans established spheres of influence in China.

5. European nations completely controlled trade in parts of China without interference from other nations.

6. Europeans were also granted extraterritorial rights in China. Foreigners accused of crimes in China were tried in their own courts and by their own laws.

7. The people of China did not like the changes wrought by European imperialistic practices, but they could not effectively resist due to a lack of modern weapons.

8. Yet even with these changes, European profits were not as great as hoped for. Europeans imported more Chinese products than they exported.

9. The Chinese were ethnocentric and wanted few European products. Europeans experienced a trade imbalance.

10. To reverse this trade imbalance, Europeans began to import opium to China. Opium was a highly addictive drug from the poppy plant. The poppy plant grew in India, a British colony.

11. Selling opium reversed the trade imbalance. Suddenly, the Chinese were buying more. Opium was very profitable indeed for the British.

12. Of course, Chinese officials tried to stop the importation of opium in China. But the British did not want to stop the trade. It was too profitable.

13. A war started. The British won the war due to modern technology. The Treaty of Nanjing was signed and Britain received Hong Kong.

14. With opium, spheres of influence, and extraterritoriality, the Chinese suffered. But the Chinese would one day regain control of their land.