Yes, this is further support for the “Because colonialism” theory. Maybe there’s a nearby possible world where the Emperor got really excited about exploration and colonization, and sent the fleet out again and again instead of burning it, and then historians in the 2000′s write big books about why the Industrial Revolution happened first in the East because of Confucian values.
The Ming treasure voyages do suggest that the technical capability for colonialism exist in China. It was just not persued after 1433.
Yes, this is further support for the “Because colonialism” theory. Maybe there’s a nearby possible world where the Emperor got really excited about exploration and colonization, and sent the fleet out again and again instead of burning it, and then historians in the 2000′s write big books about why the Industrial Revolution happened first in the East because of Confucian values.