The China tea trade was a paradox of global capitalism
I previously read “Imperial Twilight” which examines the historical context that led up to the Opium Wars.<p>Given it was recommended to me on HN, I’ll pass on the recommendation in kind for anyone wishing to learn more about some of the context surrounding this.  Really a quite different world with respect to power balances and, as has been noted in this thread, a cornerstone of the Chinese worldview.