masukuma wrote:The chinese reached the coasts of Africa way before the Europeans - they were on a touristy expedition. The chinese were not competing with anyone, they were just focused on internal matters. The kingdoms of Europe on the other hand were in conflict and were competing with each other - when they came they came to take and build their homes so that they could trump their neighbours. They were not here to see what the Sultan of Malindi had!! they came to take! Let's assume africans developed big boats and sailed around the world, we would only have done to others what was done to us if the competitive spirit was around.
You'd need to show that 'the competitive spirit' was necessarily in Africa and how empire(s) were created in Africa, if at all there were such things in Africa.
Historical evidence from Africa wouldn't suggest empires built entirely on your prescribed model.
Then you're using vague terms on China's intentions during the Mings. What's to 'take'? Steal?
Apart from that, if such a model of taking would prove to be unsustainable as it's now proving, what alternatives would apply? Is Chinese thought and policy today an alternative to your apparently preferred model?