Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Countries (Vol. 40)

To the south of Fujian and Guangdong referring to Southeast Asia, the soil is fertile and the waters are rich; one can harvest crops almost without the labor of tilling. A single picul shi (石); a traditional unit of weight/volume for grain, roughly equivalent to 103 liters or 60 kilograms of rice costs only a few cents of silver there. By the sea route, the journey to Guangdong takes no more than six or seven days. Every year, merchant ships arrive at the Guangdong Customs.

In the eighth year of the Qianlong reign [1743], an Imperial Decree yuzhi (諭旨); a formal command from the Emperor was respectfully received: "For all foreign cargo ships arriving to trade in provinces such as Fujian and Guangdong, those carrying over 10,000 shi of rice shall be exempt from fifty percent of the taxes on both the vessel and its cargo. Those carrying over 5,000 shi of rice shall be exempt from thirty percent of said taxes." The rice is to be sold at fair market prices.

Thus, one can see that the Imperial Strategy shengmo (聖謨); literally 'sacred plans,' referring to the Emperor's wisdom is far-reaching and deeply concerned with the people's welfare. It is clear that the lifting of the ban on trade with the Southern Seas Nanyang (南洋); the traditional Chinese term for Southeast Asia was intended as a means of managing foreign nations. The State possesses the wealth of the four seas and does not strictly require this tax revenue. Rather than using tea and rhubarb to trade for woolen cloth and clocks—items of no practical use—it is better to help provide a sufficient food supply, the benefits of which will be felt by the multitude of people. These brilliant Imperial Precedents xundian (訓典); authoritative records of governance represent a masterstroke of planning that secures prosperity for the long-term future. For those who hold the reins of power...