Opium Wars XX Main article: Opium Wars XX Chinese officials destroyed a consignment of export opium opium Marketing by Britain, France and the United States to China led to a conflict of major proportions. The Chinese believed that the West had nothing of value with which to trade. But British and American traders, strongly backed by the English crown, saw the possibility of having opium trade. Opium and its derivatives (morphine, heroin, etc..) Are one of the most addictive drugs. A Chinese worker who became addicted, spending 2 / 3 of his salary on opium and his family left destitute citation needed . By 1839 the opium was already available to workers and peasants. This was generated with an epidemic of addicts in China so the emperor had to intervene in the matter, naming Lin Hse Tsu to curb the opium trade, he burned them drawers and risked a war (1839).When Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, the first thing they did was put a statue of Lin, considered a national hero. Lin Hse Tsu sent a letter to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom asking him not to smuggle more opium (1). However, Queen Victoria did not accede to Chinese demands, exploding shortly after the First Opium War, which generated an incentive for most merchants were in China from the United States and England. Many big U.S. fortunes were based on this drug, which was concealed, they said they were traded tea or snuff. It was called China Trade or Far East Trade. Chinese girl poppy harvesting fruits in Manchukuo