Opium Wars Opium Wars The Opium Wars were two wars in the mid-19th century involving China and the British Empire over the British trade of opium and China's sovereignty. The clashes included the First Opium War (1839–1842) and the Second Opium War (1856–1860). The wars and events between them weakened the Qing dynasty and forced China to trade with the other parts of the world. In 1820, China's economy was the largest in the world, according to British economist Angus Maddison. Within a decade after the end of the Second Opium War, China's share of global GDP had fallen by half. In
Luxury goods of China retail sales of luxury consumer goods; however, Chinese buyers account for 25% of global retail sales of luxury consumer goods. Many shops in international travel destinations have specialized staff devoted to Chinese customers. According to 2007 Global Luxury Survey by "Time" magazine, most luxury goods buyers in China buy luxury products as a status symbol. The top five luxury watch brands in the country are Rolex, Omega, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, and Breitling. In a confidential report titled ""China Luxury Market study 2010"" in November 2010, the management consulting firm Bain & Company noted the top three luxury brands in China