"The British seizure of Hongkong was an aspect of one of the most ugly crimes of the British Empire: the takeover and destruction of India, and the use of India to flood China with opium"

This quote by Robert Trout talks to the dark history of the British Empire and its actions in India and China. The British seizure of Hong Kong became part of a larger effort to take control of India and utilize it to flood China with opium. This was a particularly heinous criminal offense, as it included the exploitation of India and the destruction of Chinese society. The opium trade was a major source of revenue for the British Empire, but it also triggered enormous suffering in both India and China. The British Empire's actions in India and China were a major contributing factor to the decrease of both countries, and the results of these actions are still felt today. The quote acts as a pointer of the need to acknowledge and gain from the errors of the past in order to develop a much better future.