Shanghai Opium Trade

The Shanghai Opium Trade in the 19th and early 20th centuries involved the illegal import and sale of opium, primarily by Western merchants and local traders, facilitated by Chinese authorities' efforts to control the drug. Despite laws banning or restricting its use, demand among Chinese consumers led to widespread addiction, social issues, and economic distortions. The trade was a significant factor in China's history of foreign influence and internal conflict, notably contributing to the Opium Wars, which resulted in unequal treaties that expanded Western economic and political influence in China.