Quote from: NationOwnedCCNow on April 29, 2014, 01:38:34 PM

And why wouldn't they want to have a free-trade agreement? Hmm.. someone should wiki Opium Wars.

btw, rest of Your post is retarded.

Dude seriously, I have a degree in Asian Studies. Step away before you hurt yourself.

They were arrogant and demanded that the representative of the English crown kowtow (basically bow to the ground on your knees and put your head to the ground in a symbol of submission) and the request was refused and ultimately led to a military force being sent shortly thereafter. The Chinese had several opportunities to compromise and they did not.

But since you're just going to deny this and keep ranting, let me settle this right here and now:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1792macartney.asp

Quote

For many centuries China had little intercourse with other countries. Various European nations tried to form commercial relations with her, and there was buying and selling between them, but it was most unsatisfactory. The rules made by the Chinese were as fickle as the wind. Often the merchants, or "foreign devils," as the Chinese called them, were in danger of their lives. Several nations had sent representatives to China, and in 1792 England decided to send Lord Macartney as an ambassador to the emperor in the hope of establishing safe and reasonable relations of trade. Even before the ambassador landed, the Chinese contrived to run up a flag on the vessel that bore him up the Peiho, whereon was written "Tribute-bearer from England." This was quite in accordance with the Chinese custom of claiming all gifts as tribute. Another custom of theirs was that whoever approached the throne of the emperor must perform the kowtow, that is, must kneel three times, and at each kneeling must bow three times till his head touched the floor. This was the way in which the greater idols were approached and signified that the emperor was a god. Lord Macartney told the Chinese legate that he would not perform the kowtow unless a high officer of state would kowtow before a picture of the King of England. The emperor finally agreed to admit the ambassador, who bent his knee, as he would have done before his own sovereign. The next English ambassador, Lord Amherst, who came in 1817, refused to kowtow, was told that he was a very rude man who did not know how to behave, and was bidden to go home at once.

As usual, you're just another jackass on the internet shooting his mouth off about something you don't even remotely understand. The Chinese spit in the world's face lonnnnng before the "Opium wars" that every amateur jackass likes to use as the supposed reason for problems between China and England.