1840 Opium War
The single incident that created the greatest commotion in East Asia in the modern history is the Opium War.
The First Anglo-Chinese War (1839–42), known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice.
There was an ever growing demand for tea in the United Kingdom, while acceptance of only silver in payment by China for tea resulted in large continuous trade deficits.[7] A trade imbalance came into being that was highly unfavourable to Britain.
By 1817, the British hit upon counter-trading in a narcotic, Indian opium, as a way to both reduce the trade deficit and finally gain profit from the formerly money-losing Indian Colony. The Qing Administration originally tolerated the importation of opium because it created an indirect tax on Chinese subjects, while allowing the British to double tea exports from China to England which profited the monopoly for tea exports of the Qing imperial treasury and its agents.
However, by 1820 the planting of tea in the Indian and African colonies along with accelerated opium consumption reversed the flow of silver, just when the Imperial Treasury needed to finance suppression of rebellions against the Qing. The Qing government attempted to end the opium trade, but its efforts were complicated by local officials (including the Viceroy of Canton), who profited greatly from the bribes and taxes.
In 1839, the Daoguang Emperor appointed Lin Zexu as the governor of Canton with the goal of reducing and eliminating the opium trade. On his arrival, Lin Zexu banned the sale of opium, demanded that all opium be surrendered to the Chinese authorities, and required that all foreign traders sign a 'no opium trade' bond the breaking of which was punishable by death. Lin also closed the channel to Canton, effectively holding British traders hostage in Canton
In June 1840, an expeditionary force of 15 barracks ships, 4 steam-powered gunboats and 25 smaller boats with 4000 marines reached Guangdong from Singapore. The marines were headed by James Bremer. Bremer demanded the Qing Government compensate the British for losses suffered from interrupted trade
By January 1841, British forces commanded the high ground around Canton and defeated the Chinese at Ningbo and at the military post of Dinghai.
By the middle of 1842, the British had defeated the Chinese at the mouth of their other great riverine trade route, the Yangtze, and were occupying Shanghai. The war finally ended in August 1842, with the signing of China's first Unequal Treaty, the Treaty of Nanking.
Belligerents United Kingdom
Qing Dynasty
Strength 19,000 troops [2] 200,000 men Casualties and losses 69 killed,
451 wounded18,000–20,000 casualties
The ease with which the British forces had defeated the numerically superior Chinese armies seriously affected the Qing Dynasty's prestige. The success of the First Opium War allowed the British to resume the opium trade. It also paved the way for opening of the lucrative Chinese market to other commerce and the opening of Chinese society to missionary endeavors.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Opium_War
China lost face. And it took 170 years for China to start to behave as an arrogant empire again.
But it is very important that the bottom line of the British trade in the 19th century came to record a surplus only by its manipulation of opium from India and tea/silver from China.
And this trade system of the UK was only realized through its use of superior military power in India and China.
It is also ironic that this relationship with the UK did not lead to fill-scale modernization of their society in India and China. But it was Japan that learnt lessons from the Opium War so as to carefully avoid military conflicts with the US and other Western powers when they sailed to Japan to request ending of Japan's seclusion policy a decade after the Opium War.
By carefully promoting trade with Western powers, Japan succeeded in establishing the modern and Westernized Empire of Japan, especially by applying modern technology to building of mighty navy and army.
As for China, it was from 1980s that its economy and industry started to be modernized with great help from Japan. And when the UK returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, Chinese economy was already on track to be one of the largest economies in the world, following the US and Japan.
From other perspective, wealth was in India and China but not in England and Europe.
So, after starting the Industrial Revolution, the UK applied new technology to building modern military which they directed to Africa and Asia. Especially, the UK occupied many sources of wealth in East Asia to enrich itself. So, the source of wealth was in Asia for the British Empire.
Accordingly it is no wonder that East Asia, including India, is going to be the center of the global economy in the 21st century.
Other source of wealth in the world in this context are of course Japan and the US. The British Empire could not occupy and exploit wealth in Japan and the US. The UK could not keep America in its economic territory as the US got independent in 1776. If the UK had been able to keep America under its governance, the British Empire should be the sole-super power on the earth today.
Japan has never been victimized by the UK, since Japan has never been colonized and invaded by Western powers unlike India, China, and even the US.
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Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
Luk 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
Luk 11:22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
Luk 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.