Early Chinese Contact with the West

(16th-17th century)

POLITICAL CHANGE

 

Portuguese capture the SEA spice-trading kingdom of Malacca in 1511.

 

Portuguese established in Macao by 1557. Proceeded to send tribute to the Ming court

 

Zheng Chenggong or Koxinga (1624-62): famous pirate and Ming loyalist. Kicked the Dutch off Taiwan in 1661.

 

British entered the scene, via the British East India Company, and received permission from the Kangxi emperor to establish a "factory" trading center in Canton in 1685.