But to really understand Japanese motivations in the 19th century, you have to think about what was happening in Qing China as we talk about in the video on the Opium Wars. The British and other imperial powers want access to Chinese markets. The Europeans want Chinese porcelain and Chinese silk, but the Chinese weren't interested in trading with the Europeans. The Europeans, especially the British, eventually do find something the Chinese want, and that's opium, which is an addictive drug. It's the core ingredient in heroin and in morphine. The Chinese government, of course, does not want that opium inside the country, but as we talk about in previous videos, the British are able to force their way in with the First Opium War, often referred to as gunboat diplomacy. And after winning the First Opium War, the British are able to extract concessions from the Chinese, including opening up these ports.