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Appearing in the 17th century in the form of secret societies, the triads gradually evolved into criminal organizations. Western colonization represented a great opportunity for them. After the opium wars, they became involved in the drug trade and grew rich. They became powerful enough to influence the founding of the Republic of China. After World War II, Mao's rise to power forced the triads to leave the country. But they did not go far: to Taiwan and Hong Kong, where they lived their golden years.
The handover of Hong Kong and Macau to China offered the triads the opportunity to make a pact with their former communist enemy. They offered their support to the government in exchange for a substantial share of the country's economic development. Although officially repressed in mainland China, the Chinese Communist Party was interested in their money and entrepreneurial spirit. Overly flashy gangsters gave way to more discreet businessmen. But the triads ended up posing a danger to Xi Jinping's China.
Xi Jinping wants to make his country the world's leading power. To keep getting richer, the triads must serve his ambitions. They support their policies in Taiwan and Hong Kong, prosper along the Silk Roads, create lawless zones in Southeast Asia, establish themselves in the Pacific and infiltrate Western economies. It is no coincidence that the port of Vancouver is the gateway for fentanyl, the drug that is wreaking havoc in the United States. Triads evolve over time; but, as an integral part of Chinese society, they are far from disappearing.
