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Exactly what were the Opium Wars and how did they end up with the British in charge of Hong Kong until 1997?

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The Opium Wars were two 19th century wars fought between China and Britain (and also France in the second one).  Two mighty and proud empires fighting each other and all, ostensibly about the trade in opium.

The British were trying to export the narcotic into China and the Chinese authorities, unsurprisingly,  wanted to stop them.

That’s the horrifying headline…and it is hardly something for us British to be proud of.

But, despite the name, there was a lot more to these wars than just opium.

In this episode, I will be  exploring the reasons behind the 1st Opium War 1839-1842, what happened and how it resulted in the British ruling Hong Kong for over 150 years.

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