Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Countries (Vol. 40)

...regarding Zhu Wan's strict Prohibition of Communication with Foreigners. Was this not a case of giving up eating because one once choked? original: "yin ye fei shi," a classic idiom for an overreaction that abandons a necessary activity due to a single mishap

The official Zheng Xiao claimed that the "Japanese Trouble" referring to the Wokou pirate raids of the 16th century originated from the Maritime Trade Office. The Ministry of Rites subsequently requested that the Maritime Trade Office be abolished. However, they did not realize that what truly deserved abolition were the Maritime Trade Eunuchs, not the maritime trade itself. This point could not be made more clearly.

Now, trade in the Guangdong seas has been open for over a century. Suppose a memorial were submitted to abolish it and stop foreign ships from arriving. The value of the goods in the foreign trade firms 洋行 (yanghang): the licensed monopoly firms, often called the Cohong, that managed trade in Canton is mostly built on credit. The wealthy merchants would certainly be unwilling to cover these costs out of pocket all at once. As for the struggling merchants, where would they find the means to settle their debts?

Inevitably, the foreigners from afar would complain and grow resentful, lingering at our borders and refusing to leave. Meanwhile, those who make their living from the trade—the compradors, pilots, fishing boat crews, and the "Fast Crab" boatmen swift, multi-oared boats used for transport and often smuggling; the Shawan and Mazhan who serve the foreigners, the Mazhan-dao the translators, the interpreters, and the owners of foreign goods shops—all fearing the loss of their livelihoods, would secretly incite and provoke unrest.

The nature of the "mallet-bun" people original: "zhui ji," a reference to the local southern coastal populations based on their hairstyle is naturally prone to disorder. Like the cry of flying swans gathering in a forest, they would quickly forget the Emperor's civilizing influence. Who could possibly describe the hidden dangers that have not yet taken form?

Furthermore, the strategy for border defense especially values the attracting of people. The Book of Han states that the Xiongnu the nomadic confederation on China's northern border during the Han Dynasty are greedy, and if...