Think about how this trade relates to Southeast Asia

======================================

Right- these were some of the reasons. plus seasoning of food and spices were worth a lot of $$

===============

Yes, and spices could only be grown in SEA and Europe's climate was unsuitable for the cultivation of spices

-The exotic spices could not grow in colder climates like Europe so they had to travel to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

======================

Yes, spices had many functions- flavouring and preserving food. They were worth a lot of money, hence the British came to SEA.

=======================

Yes, spices were worth a lot of money. They couldn't be cultivated in Europe hence the British had to come to SEA for spices.

Next, spice traders would make up fantastic stories such as tales of deep glands filled with cinnamon and infested with snakes and other exotic spices guarded by creatures in order to get more money.

In addition, these spices could also be used for many different purposes from flavouring and preserving their food to making perfumes and dyes and even medicine.

Finally, the Elizabethans thought that nutmeg was a cure for the plague, a terrible disease at that time, so the prices rose and more of them started buying the spices.

==================

Good work girls! You have covered every possible reason. Not forgetting, since spices were so useful and cannot be cultivated under Europe's cool climate, spices became very profitable hence the British came here for them :)

=====================

Yes the British thought spices had medicinal function...

Error- i don't think the Europeans grew the spices, whether it was winter or summer. That is why the British had to come to SEA to get spices.

other reasons? flavouring and preservation of food?

===================

Yes, good. spices were worth a lot of money since they were not found in Europe yet had many purposes. That was why British were interested in SEA

In the past, people used spices to make perfume and they believed that spices could be used to cure illnesses..

=================

Yes, plus in Europe, it was difficult to cultivate spices and only India and SEA had them...

spices were important for cooking and preserving food

================

Good work, girls. Yes, spices were worth a lot of $ and found in SEA (India) hence British were interested in SEA

==========================

Good that you mentioned SEA trade. Next, to link SEA to India-China trade. Need to show why India-China were important to the British. Then show how SEA could help the British prosper as the British traded with India and China...

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

=============

Yes, plus spices could not be cultivated in Europe (too cool) so only SEA had them. since spices were lucrative to trade in, the British had to come to SEA

================

Not just the purposes of spices but the fact that they could only be found in SEA and not Europe. spices were worth a lot hence the British were so interested in SEA, for the lucrative spice trade

====================

Yes, spices could not be cultivated in cool Europe hence the British had to come to SEA. spices had many purposes therefore trading them helped the British make a lot of $$

========================

Yes, valid points. since spices were so useful, trading them made British rich, hence they were interested to come to SEA

==================

Good work, girls. Yes, to add on, spice trade was very profitable for Europeans, hence the British were interested to come to SEA

========================

Really? is this related to the video? Please watch the video carefully

======================

Good work girls. as you have mentioned that spices could not be cultivated in Europe and had so many functions and demand for spices was high- trading spices made British rich hence they were so interested in SEA.

====================

Your responses are relevant for the question in the first post but not this.

you need to watch and listen to the videos carefully... it's not about SEA and spices but INDIA and CHINA

===========================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British. However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

================

Good work, girls. you covered almost all, also to add, spices couldn't be cultivated in Europe (too cool) and only available in SEA. Hence the British were so interested in SEA...

=====================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British. However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

=====================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British. However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

==================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British. Huge profits could be made from trade with India and China.

However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

========================

I guess the British wanted the colonies because it would make it easier for them to get the raw materials they wanted plus build factories in these countries and to trade freely in their colonies.

good that you girls picked this up.

Back to question. why the British were interested in SEA? Yes, India-China trade was important for the British. However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

=====================

then what did the British manage to sell to China in the end?

What about India?

What role did India play in this India-China trade that the British were so interested in?

Lastly, what had India-China trade got to do with SEA?

====================v

valid points

=====================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British.

However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

=================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British. However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

===========================

and India produced opium which could be sold to China, helping British make $$

So, India-China trade was important for the British.

However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

======================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British.

However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

=====================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British. However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

=====================

yes, by selling opium to China, the British could 'balance' their trade otherwise they would be losing $$ through buying tea from China and China not buying anything from the British...

However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

=====================

Yes, but why SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

=======================

What about China? Need to look at China as well... how are India and China related?

Next, SEA... how was SEA involved in the British trade with India and China?

look at the location of SEA.... can you see why SEA was important for the British?

The British had factories in India which were used to make an enormous amount of opium. Both the British and the Chinese both benefited from this opium trade.

==========================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British.

However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

===========================

i don't think the video mentioned Singapore though... please watch it again

=====================

good effort girls.

yes, from the video, you would learn that the Dutch monopolised the spice trade in the East Indies and the Dutch VOC was colonising territories and had control over the sea routes between Europe and Asia. The British had to do something or else they lose their footing in SEA.

===================

so the port that was SG could protect British ships and trade too. at the same time, allowed the British to trade in SEA, and with India and China since the location of SG was ideal, many traders would be attracted.

====================

ANSWER:

Spices were black gold back in those days. yes they had other things to trade like opium and tea (with China and India) but spices were what the Europeans wanted and could not cultivate in Europe (only in Asia) This made spices very valuable. anyone who traded spices became very rich.

========================

Yes, India-China trade was important for the British.

However, what had this to do with SEA?

Look at the location of SEA... it is 'between' India and China. British ships on their way to and fro India and China would pass SEA. The British could buy and sell things in SEA, on their way to India or China. Hence British very interested in SEA as SEA was a gateway to India & China.

===================

Good effort girls.

since you know that the Dutch had power and VOC was making money, from the spice trade with East Indies.

you would have come across the point that the VOC was dominating the spice trade and attempting to seize lands in SEA. if the British did not do something in SEA, they would lose their chance in dominating trade in SEA

Sir Stamford Raffles came to the island Singapore as it was located at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula, which is also near the Straits of Malacca, and has great natural harbour, and abundance of fresh water supplies. The most important reason was that it was unoccupied by the Dutch.

==================

valid points

========================

ok, you have summed up concisely in two sentences :)

it's all about Dutch monopoly in East Indies (Indonesia) and in the spice trade.

Since the Dutch were so dominant, the British had to appear in SEA or else they would not have the chance to benefit from the trade in SEA

=================

valid points

===========================

well, not wrong... the British were indeed charged high taxes when they used Dutch ports, in fact when they passed the ports, they had to pay the Dutch!

hence, the British felt they needed their own ports and not be at the mercy of the Dutch.

however, according to video- it also shows that the Dutch were dominating East Indies and the spice trade. the British wanted a portion of this lucrative trade. the British had to secure their presence in SEA or else the Dutch might take all of SEA?

-had accessibility to drinking water (they were impressed by this)

-its location at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula

-may be able to come to a compromise with its local rulers

==========================

valid points

Next, they were impressed by Singapore’s sheltered harbour and accessible drinking water. In addition, they realised that they could come to an agreement with local rulers.

Finally, Raffles wrote a letter to Lord Hastings on 15 February 1819, stating that the port in Singapore was in “a situation combining every advantage of geographical and local which we could desire”.

===================

valid points

==============

yes, Penang and Bencoolen that were British ports were inferior, couldn't British trade, couldn't attract traders. the British were losing $$.

meanwhile, the India-China trade was growing in importance. if the British did not set up a port in SG or around SG, the British traders had no meeting point or rest stops when travelling to China or back from China. this would hurt their traders.

======================

good, you have grasped some understanding of the video. the Dutch were so dominant in East Indies (Indonesia) and the spice trade. and spice trade was profitable right? the British got FOMO and wanted some of this trade. not forgetting, the Dutch was seizing lands in East Indies. this meant that Dutch presence in East Indies was strong. if the British didn't do anything, they would not have any chance in trade in SEA.

==================

good, you have grasped some understanding of the video. basically the British wanted part of the lucrative spice trade that the Dutch was enjoying. Yes, the Dutch managed to colonise islands of East Indies (Indonesia). the British had to show up here so that they could trade and make $ through spice trade too

However, Singapore's location along the Maritime Silk Road meant it was easy for traders to stop by with goods. When Singapore was set up as a free port in 1819, it allowed goods to be traded freely without anyone having to pay heavy fees.

====================

good effort. you are right, the Dutch charged the British high taxes for using Dutch ports in the East Indies. this is because the Dutch dominated East Indies hence could set up ports in the East Indies.

more importantly, the Dutch were monopolising the spice trade in East Indies. if the British didn't do anything to establish a port to trade, they might not be able to, when the Dutch spread their control in this region

===================

good attempt. yes, now that you know that the Dutch VOC was making a lot of money through trade (spices and in East Indies), can you see why the British were so interested in SEA???

if the British did not establish ports or control the sea routes here, they might not have the chance as the Dutch spread their control

====================

ANSWER:

Back in those days, border/coastal security (?) in China wasn't stringent. it was possible to smuggle opium via land or sea. China was huge and there were many ways to enter China.

Tea- somehow became a favourite/popular drink in Britain and in Europe. Started with the Portuguese who discovered tea in China. and the Dutch who brought tea to Europe. People of status drank tea- tea was a status symbol in the early years. later also, the British discovered the benefits of tea-drinking. thus trading tea allowed British traders to make a lot of money. it was not until the British cultivated tea on their own, in India, that this demand of tea from China decreased...

========================

Yes, good you are right. the Dutch were making money through spice trade with East Indies (Indonesia) how could the British miss this?

More importantly, if the British didn't take action, the Dutch might control the whole region and the British might miss the chance to make $

If Penang and Bencoolen was too far away from the trade route between British and China, then why did they set up the trading port in the first place?

====================

China traded specifically with the British for opium because the British were the Europeans who cultivated opium in India. and since the British were buying so much tea from China (and losing money...), the British came up with the plan of selling something that the Chinese 'needed' and would be addicted to, which is opium. British were the prominent Europeans in China and they were the ones cultivating and selling opium to China.

Penang was chosen by the British because the British wanted a port that was 'along the Straits of Melaka' so that British ships traveling between India and China or Europe and China, could stop here. Melaka was not available at that time (it was Dutch-controlled) and the best choice was Penang...

as for Bencoolen, it was because of the spice trade, since Bencoolen was in the East Indies where spices were produced. it could be that other areas in East Indies were already controlled by the Dutch, the British had no other choices.

===============

yes, the British needed a port of their own that was in a good location to protect their traders and at the same time enjoy the lucrative spice trade as well as trade with India and China. British ships needed to stop on their way to and fro China, hence a port like SG was needed.

==========================

valid points

Nutmeg were grown in Indonesia and could be sold for high prices. The Dutch wanted to take control over Indonesia’s nutmegs as it could make their investors rich.

Rich men called kaya sold nutmeg and the Dutch wanted to have it. The Dutch built forts to control the trade.

The British were inspired and influenced by the perspective of the Dutch. That was a spice blooming period, as spice was very prized during that time, the British thought controlling some parts of Asia and selling the spices over there/trading is a good way of making money too.

===================

good effort girls. i hope you saw that the Dutch were clearly monopolising the trade in East Indies... making lots of money. The British wouldn't want to miss out. moreover, the Dutch were entrenching themselves here. if the British did not establish a port near East Indies (where the Dutch were), the British might not be able to do so... hence they needed to do so quickly and make money from spice trade

Then, the British found Singapore and established a port there.

=====================

yes, the Dutch ports in the East Indies (Indonesia) were largely inaccessible for the British. the British could not trade freely or make as much $ as they wanted. having their own port could protect their own traders, enabling them to make money, rest while traveling to and fro China.

====================

valid points

====================

ANSWER:

I think you're referring to the Dutch? The British were not in Banda... it was the Dutch. The Dutch wanted the nutmeg and other spices that made a lot of money for the Dutch. But the Bandanese were selling the nutmeg at high prices to the Dutch. The Bandanese rebelled against the Dutch. naturally the Dutch had to fight back by forcibly occupying Banda.

You can watch the video on the 3rd post

=========================

good point girls. yes, the British wanted a share of the lucrative spice trade. hence it was important they had a port in SG or around SG so that they could trade spices. otherwise, over time, the Dutch might control the whole region and the British would not be able to enjoy the spice trade.

=========================

good points girls. you would see from the video that the Dutch were dominating in East Indies (Indonesia) and the spice trade. hence, the British needed a port near East Indies to protect the British trade and earn from the lucrative spice trade... it's all about the money

====================

plus drinking water, sheltered harbour, and location good for British India-China trade

==================

SG was chosen because the British wanted a PORT. other areas in SEA might be landlocked areas- not what the British needed for maritime trade. lastly, the British needed a place where they could enjoy the spice trade and be able to trade with India and China. ships needed to stop over during long journeys, hence SG was chosen. any ship traveling between Europe and Asia or India and China must pass SG.

================

i hope you saw from the video how the VOC was making money in the nutmeg trade... plus how the Dutch were spreading their control in the East Indies.

The British must not lose out to the Dutch. some presence and control near the East Indies was crucial for the British to trade and make money

==================

yes, valid points. the British could not rely on Dutch ports as they were too costly for the British to use. the British were at the mercy of the Dutch.

as trade with India-China was important for the British, having a port that was between India and China was important for the British traders who could trade peacefully and rest on their sea journeys.

====================

ANSWER:

The British LOVED tea. other Europeans too. Selling tea made money. But tea was available only from China.

Buying tea from China made China rich but British were not rich as China DID NOT want to buy anything from the British.

the solution was OPIUM. this was something China could buy from the British and the British could make money at last .... as it is millions of Chinese were addicted to opium. it was $-making opportunity for the British!

==============

yes valid points, the British wanted the lucrative spice trade that the Dutch enjoyed. the existing British ports Bencoolen and Penang were inferior and did not benefit British trade. a port like SG would ensure that the British could trade smoothly and benefit from the India-China trade. it was important that their traders had a place to stopover on their way to and fro India and China

=====================

valid points

=======================

yes, Bencoolen and Penang were in poor locations and didn't help British increase trade. this was made worse by Dutch's dominance in East Indies (Indonesia) and the British could not trade properly. next, India-China trade was crucial for the British so the British needed a port between India and China to allow the British traders to rest and stopover.

=================

yes the port between India and China was definitely for refuel, restock while en route to China and India. the port was vital in protecting British ships since the Dutch ports were hostile to British ships. next, the new port was also near East Indies, where spices were.

lastly, the new port must be able to attract traders so the British could make money through trade

========================

yes, apart from spice trade, it was also the India-China trade that pushed the British to find a better port that was SG. SG as a British port, could protect British ships and allowed them to rest, stop, refuel and even trade with traders around SG.

good that you mentioned Penang and Bencoolen being not beneficial for British traders and the Dutch monopoly in East Indies.

====================

ANSWER:

when it comes to $ and power and prestige- would you cooperate and work with others? :)

Europeans were proud people. they wanted prestige.

these colonies could make a lot of money (raw materials, trade etc) why would they share with other Europeans? whoever controlled the colonies could attain wealth and status....

anyway, the Dutch in general... were hostile and aggressive so they would never work together with the British :x

=================================

good work girls, you know that the Dutch had controlled and dominated the nutmeg (spice) trade in East Indies (Indonesia). you also mentioned that the Dutch prohibited the British from operating in Dutch controlled ports. this is true, as the British traders were charged exorbitant taxes when they used the Dutch ports.

thus, the British knew they had to find their own port to protect their own interests....

-breaking of dutch monopoly over trade in SEA

In the early 19^th century, the Malay Archipelago was a great trading center in the SEA with the Malay Archipelago being the center of trade activities. It was rich with natural resources, like spices, that were of great demand in Europe, and they were sold at low prices in it. The Europeans saw this as a market to trade since they could gain huge profits from this trade, participating in this trade meant that they would gain a great source of income. 

======================

SG as a port could protect British trading ships and hopefully attract traders to SG.

SG as a port ensured that British could trade with both Indian and Chinese traders.

lastly, the British needed to break Dutch monopoly in East Indies. A better port would diversify trading ships from Dutch ports to British ports.

====================

ANSWER:

it became a kind of status symbol. it was for leisure and one queen drank tea and tea got trendy...

later, the British could sell to other Europeans, and make $, so why not?

tea is still something the British drink til today... afternoon teas with cookies and cakes lol...

=================

valid points

================

don't forget, India-China trade. plus protecting the British traders/ships. they had a port to stop, rest, refuel, restock...

Also don't forget, British existing ports- Bencoolen and Penang which were not ideal at all. they did not help British improve trade or make a lot of money

===================

yes, Bencoolen and Penang definitely had issues. however, we need to bring in the Dutch as well, they were hostile to British traders using Dutch ports. The Dutch were dominating in the East Indies (Indonesia)

lastly, need to include India-China trade- that was the reason why the British needed a new port- in a location where India-China traders could trade freely with the British.

Penang was also too far away from the main trade road. Because this two British port had failed, the British had to set up another port in SEA which is more accessible so that it can be used as both a naval base and a port for ship to refuel, restock, to facilitate trade with China.

The Dutch monopoly over trade was also a major reason why the British had to set up a port in SEA. The Malay archipelago had lots of spices and were sold at low prices. The Europeans saw that they could read huge profits from this trade. The Dutch also made it unable for the British to trade at any Dutch port except for Batavia.

Thus, the British had to set up a port in SEA to be able to trade for spice.

====================

ANSWER:

I think China didn't intend to buy opium just so it could destroy its people. the Chinese did use opium for medicinal purpose like pain relief or as a relaxant. but the use of opium wasn't widespread...

it was the British who smuggled opium into China. the Chinese bought, they used, they got addicted and they kept buying more ILLEGALLY... the Chinese government could not stop the opium trade. when they tried, China and Britain got into a conflict known as the Opium War which China lost a few times, resulting in a loss of Chinese territories and the British continued selling opium to China...

=============

valid points

====================

valid points

====================

valid points

==================

valid points

The British also had to facilitate the lucrative trade they had with China, which was being threatened since the Dutch dominated the control of trade in SEA and did not allow the British to trade at the Dutch ports. Thus, they ended up choosing Singapore to set up a port because of its geographical location.

==================

yes, points are valid.

the British needed a port that could protect their traders as they travelled to and fro India and China. the port should ideally be 'in between' India and China.

this would allow the British to use their own ports and not the Dutch who charged the British high taxes.

====================

ANSWER:

it became a kind of status symbol. it was for leisure and one queen drank tea and tea got trendy...

later, the British could sell to other Europeans, and make $, so why not?

tea is still something the British drink til today... afternoon teas with cookies and cakes lol...

====================

valid points

Why couldn’t the Dutch and the British agree with each other?

Why didn’t the Dutch choose Singapore as their port?

=====================

ANSWER:

SG was chosen because the British wanted a PORT. other areas in SEA might be landlocked areas- not what the British needed for maritime trade. lastly, the British needed a place where they could enjoy the spice trade and be able to trade with India and China. ships needed to stop over during long journeys, hence SG was chosen. any ship traveling between Europe and Asia or India and China must pass SG.

Secondly, when it comes to $ and power and prestige- would you cooperate and work with others? :)

Europeans were proud people. they wanted prestige.

these colonies could make a lot of money (raw materials, trade etc) why would they share with other Europeans? whoever controlled the colonies could attain wealth and status.... spice trade was a controlled trade and very precious to the Dutch. they would not share with the British. the British must fight for their own share...

anyway, the Dutch in general... were hostile and aggressive so they would never work together with the British :x

Thirdly, Dutch wasn't interested in SG... SG didn't have raw materials, natural resources like spice unlike East Indies. They did not see the potential of SG as a port. SG was a tiny island, the Dutch were more interested in building their presence in East Indies... SG wasn't on their radar...

==================

ANSWER:

SG was chosen because the British wanted a PORT. other areas in SEA might be landlocked areas- not what the British needed for maritime trade. lastly, the British needed a place where they could enjoy the spice trade and be able to trade with India and China. ships needed to stop over during long journeys, hence SG was chosen. any ship traveling between Europe and Asia or India and China must pass SG.

SG was not 'owned' by another European power so the British could take SG

How did the British people have so much opium?

=====================

ANSWERS:

yes, sadly they were cruel, they wanted lands, natural resources which could make them money. Greed drove them to use violence and force when they could not get what they wanted from the locals in East Indies. Since the locals in East Indies were not militarily advanced as the Dutch, using force would make the locals give in to the Dutch and Dutch could control the lands.

The British had so much opium because they cultivated it in INDIA. India was part of the British empire so the British controlled the land in India and there were companies to own plantations and grow opium. the British easily got the people of India to grow opium through cheap Indian labourers...

Why did the government of China not arrest people who used opium?

Why must the Dutch and the British trade spices in SEA when there are many other things to sell other than spices?

====================

ANSWERS:

The Chinese traded tea because the British LOVED tea. There was so much demand for Chinese tea, so this was a happy situation for the Chinese- China made money... however, not for the British. they were the only ones buying tea, silk and porcelain from China BUT China wasn't interested in any European goods.... this meant that the British were losing money in the trade.

China didn't intend to receive opium as part of the trade. it wasn't what they voluntarily wanted. opium was smuggled into China by the British who found a way to make the Chinese buy SOMETHING from the British... which was opium. so yes, the trade of opium was done illegally, but what could the Chinese government do? Many people in China were addicted to opium and demanded more... the British just continued smuggling.

The Chinese government couldn't arrest because, China government was weak, China was a huge country with millions in population. they could not monitor the smuggling on a widescale. border and coastal security very weak at that time! the British were too strong. later when Chinese government tried to stop the British from selling opium, wars broke out and China lost...

Dutch and British traded spices because spices were black gold that the Europeans needed for their food. so much money to be made. SEA didn't have much goods or products to offer, except spices....

======================

valid points

===============

other reasons?

India-China trade?

what benefit that the British traders could enjoy if a port for the British were set up