By the 1830s, British free trade policy unleashed a flood of opium in China, which threatened China's favorable balance of trade. It also created a lot of drug addicts. And then in 1839, the Chinese responded to what they saw as these unfair trade practices with a stern letter that they never actually sent. Commissioner Lin Jiexu drafted a response that contained a memorable threat to cut off trade in rhubarb, silk, and tea, all valuable products of ours without which foreigners could not live. But even if the British had received this terrifying threat to their precious rhubarb supply, they probably wouldn't have responded, because selling drugs is super lucrative. So the Chinese made like tea partiers, confiscating a bunch of British opium and chucking it into the sea. And then the British responded to this by demanding compensation and access to Chinese territory where they could carry out their trade.