Lin Zexu
By 1825 the balance of trade had swung in the other direction, wherein the demand for silver to pay for opium was beginning to affect the national economy. The trade in opium was made illegal in 1798, but little was done to enforce the law. In 1838 the Emperor appointed Lin Zexu, a highly respected official from Fuzhou, to put a halt to the opium trade. Lin had gained some credibility as an honest dealer through the suppression of salt smuggling.