In 300 years of trade with China, Britain had developed a thirst for China's tea as well as appetites for Chinese silk and porcelain, but pre-industrial China found very little to desire from Britain's offerings. To ease the resulting tremendous trade deficit, Britain began growing opium in its colony India and insisted that China allow it to enter their country for use by their people. China declined the affront to their national sovereignty, lost Hong Kong to Britain, and later lost all right to restrict the opium trade within their borders. Bibliography lists 6 sources. This 6 page research paper briefly draws on some of the information provided in McNeill's 'Plagues and People,' as well as other information that illustrates that disease can have positive effects for a population.
Bibliography lists four sources.