In the late 1700s, Britain made an attempt to disturb this equilibrium by replacing cotton with opium, which was also grown in India.
- Economically, Britain gained from this since the Chinese were now compelled to pay with silver by the 1820s, and the trade balance had swung in Britain's favor. British troops engaged in a war in China between 1839 and 1842 that benefited drug traffickers. Their eventual success in the battle allowed British traders access to the wealthy Chinese market.
- The Qing emperor specifically ordered in 1757 that Guangzhou be declared the sole port available to foreign business in response to a British attempt to increase their trade to some of the North China ports. As a result, Chinese laws governing international commerce became stricter.
Thus this was the British strategy to get the Qing to accept reciprocal trade goods instead of silver for tea and other Chinese exports.
Refer here to learn more about trade between British and China: https://brainly.com/question/13697033
#SPJ4
