@histodons By the middle of the 1700s, the Jesuits had made enemies in the Catholic Church -- partially because of their acceptance of nonchristian elements of Chinese culture. Tensions rose between the church and the Chinese government. As the Qing Dynasty weakened, European merchants began to push their way into China, often in spite of rules that prohibited them from doing so. Many of these merchants sold opium, addicting millions of Chinese people and unleashing all sorts of social problems.