13. Britain Fought a Second Opium War to Force China to Accept the Sale and Distribution of Drugs in its Territory
The British invaders easily beat back a Chinese attempt to retake Canton, then seized the city of Nanking in August of 1842. The Chinese sued for peace, and negotiations concluded in the Treaty of Nanking. The Chinese had to agree to pay a huge indemnity and cede Hong Kong to the British. The number of “Treaty Ports” where the British could trade and reside was also increased from one to five. On top of that, British citizens were also granted extraterritoriality, or the right to be tried by British courts, instead of Chinese ones, for offenses committed in China.
The conflict came to be known as the First Opium War. As its numerical designation indicates, it was not the only time that Britain warred with China over Chinese attempts to halt the sale and distribution of opium within their borders. A Second Opium War (1856 – 1860) was waged, also caused by Chinese resistance to the British opium that flooded their country. This time around, Britain sought to force China to completely legalize the opium trade, exempt foreign imports from internal Chinese tariffs, and allow British business entrepreneurs access to all of China.
