The Chinese were first to print money and the first to get into difficulties by printing too much. After this silver became the store of value and the currency.

The Chinese were first to print money and the first to get into difficulties by printing too much. After this silver became the store of value and the currency. Hence the Opium Wars, the only way for UK/USA to get silver out of the Chinese economy. China had no interest in sub-standard Western goods and only wanted silver in exchange for their fine porcelain, silk and other goodies. Getting the whole nation on drugs and defending that trade with gunboats was a way of getting silver, silver being needed in the West for paying soldiers/mercenaries. Such proud history we have, enslaving India to get the opium, selling it in China and getting silver back to buy legit goods from China.