#241 - Ming 28: Wokou! Wokou! A Pirate's Life For Me!
The History of China
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Maritime China - The Ocean as an Environment
The south china coast confronted an open ocean to expand on. Such neighbors as did exist and were known by the ancient chinese marely registered as a blip on the chinese radar from much of their respected histories. China had very little interest, usually, in going to any of them. It was rather in attracting or impelling them to come to china and offer it tribute. Maritime china offered only meagre opportunities for such positive interactions between profit and power. The ocean was tempestuous, dangerous, expensive and untrustworthy. But even more damning than that, quite possibly, it just wasn't particularly profitable.
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