The First Opium War between the British and China was fought due to the countries' trade conflicts and dissimilar outlooks in diplomatic relations. One of the major factors in the war was opium, which had caused great instability in China's socioeconomic status before the war and China's actions in ending the importation of opium from the British were known to have sparked the war. China was highly criticized for provoking this Anglo-Chinese war, against the British Empire, one of the largest empires of that period in military and economic terms. However, it was established that China's vast opium imports were slowly poisoning the country and it is clear that China's opium ban and isolating trade policies against the British were the correct government decision. China's opium trade would gradually cripple the country's socioeconomic position without the need for war. Conventionally, China was a closed social order with an independent financial system. In the 19th century, it engaged in limited associations with the West...