Comment Comment by burpsnard IIRC the chinese were exporting tea, oranges and porcelain to Europe in exchange for silver.Early/mid 19C, with metal-backed currencies, as most of the circulating Silver had ended up there, it was deemed necessary to reverse that flow.The Opium wars began, to get all the silver back.I think westerners underappreciate the salience of these events in the chinese worldview.And which Colony was established by treaty with the chinese defeat ?Hong Kong.https://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/trading/story/trade/4... parent burpsnard 6 years ago
Early/mid 19C, with metal-backed currencies, as most of the circulating Silver had ended up there, it was deemed necessary to reverse that flow.
The Opium wars began, to get all the silver back.
I think westerners underappreciate the salience of these events in the chinese worldview.
And which Colony was established by treaty with the chinese defeat ?
Hong Kong.
https://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/trading/story/trade/4...