Western Merchants in China (1600s–1700s): Trade and Tension

Early Modern Sino-Western Encounters

1. Trading Posts: Portuguese, Spanish, English, Dutch established footholds in Guangzhou (Canton) and Macau.
2. Maritime Silk Road: Portuguese pioneered sea route linking Europe and China.
3. Silver for Goods: Massive silver flows bought silk, tea, porcelain, lacquerware.
4. Cultural Exchange: Jesuit missionaries (Matteo Ricci) introduced Western science; Chinese philosophy intrigued Europe.
5. Canton System (1757): Qing confined trade to Guangzhou, regulated via licensed Chinese merchants (cohong).
6. Rising Demand: European appetite for tea, porcelain, silk surged.
7. Intellectual Dialogue: Debates on astronomy, religion, philosophy via Jesuit texts.
8. Strict Control: China limited foreign movement and residence.

This era set the stage for 19th-century conflicts (Opium Wars) and forced openings.