| During the latter half of the Ching Dynasty, opium was imported into China by the British through the trading ports and, because it was addictive, it spread very quickly until a large part of the working force of China became lazy, weak and slow-witted. During the reign of the Emperor Tao Kuang, efforts were made to stop this trade. Opium was banned by Royal decree and when British traders ignored the decreee, a large consignment of opium belonging to British interests was burnt. Britain used this as an excuse to invade China in what was to be known as "The Opium Wars". China lost (not surprisingly since by then much of its male population consisted of weak, lazy and slow-witted opium smokers) and Britain obtained huge war reparations and land concessions, part of which included what is now Hong Kong. So, Ningning, if you feel that a lazy, slow-witted population is hardly something to worry about, I would urge you to reconsider. |