Answer:
The Opium Wars greatly expanded Western influence in China. The wars also led to the weakening of the Chinese dynastic system and paved the way for uprisings such as the Taiping and Boxer rebellions.
The Opium Wars arose from China's attempts to suppress the opium trade. Foreign traders (primarily British) had been illegally exporting opium mainly from India to China since the 18th century, but that trade grew dramatically from about 1820.
