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FTWDK, in 1833 British Parliament ended the East India Company's monopoly on opium trade in China, and sent Lord William Napier as an envoy to Canton; the Qing were not informed of this change, and refused to see the envoy when he arrived. Five years later, the First Opium War broke out.

Now, what if a notification had been sent, and a Qing diplomatic official had met with Napier? Might this have delayed, or possibly even prevented, the Opium War?

And just to make it more interesting, what if the Jackson Administration had got wind of this, and decided to send an envoy (probably Edmund Roberts, who established relations with Siam) to protect American interests as well?

EDIT ADD: Somewhat like threads here and here
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