Which event in Chinese history prompted these words

The correct answer is: the Opium wars.

Explanation:

Opium is a drug mainly located in Asia. China has a history regarding the conflict of the opium trade with Britain.

The traffic of opium developed in the 18th and 19th century, when Western countries, mostly Great Britain, exported opium (grown in India and sold it to China). They used the profits from the sale to buy Chinese goods like porcelain, silk, and tea, which had a great demand in the West.

Also, Britain is far from China about sixty or seventy thousand miles and the opium was very common in the British trading business.