What was one cause of the First Opium War?

China destroyed more than a thousand tons of opium from a British ship.
Chinese officials refused to turn over villagers who had captured a British sailor.
Chinese officials arrested a Chinese crew operating on a British ship.
The Chinese government executed a French missionary.

1 answer

One cause of the First Opium War was that China destroyed more than a thousand tons of opium from a British ship. This action escalated tensions between China and Britain, ultimately contributing to the outbreak of war in 1839.