Opium

Throughout its history, China had always been a strong, powerful country that answered to no one. However, this all came crashing down with the onset of the opium wars. In the mid-nineteenth century, opium made up more than half of British exports to China. China's exports also totaled up to only 2/3 the profit of Britan's, advancing Britan's benefits from trading with China. British opium not only created great monetary benefits for them, but it weakened China by creating opium addicts and a strong black market. This opium trade eventually led to the Opium wars, which not only shrank China from its original superpower to a submissive mouse, but gave other countries huge control over the trade and progress of the country. Japan, Russia, Britan, France and Germany all controlled permanent ports in China where they traded with very little tax. This benefitted the countries and left China unable to help itself or regain its old strong leadership and military power.