Opium Wars, two mid-19th-century armed conflicts between China and Western countries. The first Opium War (1839–42) was fought between China and Britain; the second Opium War (1856–60), also known as the Arrow War or the Anglo-French War in China, was
continued to smuggle it into the country), Canton was still highly restrictive toward Western traders, British imports in China were heavily taxed, and only five ports were open. All of these factors contributed to the start of the Second Opium War, in 1856. (SeeOpium Wars: The Second ...