114 Boundaries and Beyond
their expulsion from Guangzhou. They remained in touch with the
China market through Chinese traders calling at Pattani,^68 and Chinese
domiciled overseas urged them to operate farther up the coast, in Fujian
and Zhejiang. To this end, they helped them establish connections with
proβitable smuggling networks.
A decade after their expulsion from the Guangzhou region, the
Portuguese found new opportunities to slip back into the south. In
November 1529, the Court approved the request of the Liang-Guang
Grand Coordinator, Lin Fu, to reopen Guangzhou to foreign trade.^69 In
the petition, Lin Fu argued from the institutional point of view that,
although it was proper to expel the Folangji because their presence was
unauthorized, permission should be granted to countries such as Annam,
Chenla, Siam, Champa, Java, Pahang and Malacca to pay tribute as they
had done before. Furthermore, restoration of the supervision system
under the Supervisorates of Maritime Trade and Shipping (shibo tijusi/
shibo si) would beneβit the economy and help raise needed revenue for
provincial military and administrative expenses. It would also ensure
the supply of products from these countries that were very much in
demand. He complained that cutting Guangzhou off from foreign trade
only encouraged illicit trade activities elsewhere along the coast, and he
singled out Zhangzhou in Fujian as a port where the smuggling trade was
βlourishing and openly tolerated by local authorities. Lin requested that
Guangzhou be reopened to foreign trade, and that illegal trade elsewhere
be suppressed immediately.^70
Lin Fu excluded the Portuguese from the petition because he knew
that it would be difβicult to obtain the Court’s permission to trade with
them; but, after the reopening of Guangzhou for the tribute trade the
following year, the Portuguese were able to obtain some of the beneβits
of the regulated trade, although their presence was still proscribed by
the Ming state. One practice adopted by the Portuguese after 1533 was
to accompany tribute missions sent by their Malay allies such as Pahang
and Pattani.^71
During the period 1521‒49, Portuguese smugglers often conducted
their trade in collusion with local ofβicials who received large bribes.^72
No doubt, the Portuguese met with a good deal of sympathy and support
from the Chinese of all classes who were anxious to do business with
- Ferguson, “The Letters”, p. 434.
- MSL: SZ, 106: 5a.
- Yan Congjian, Shuyu zhouzi lu, pp. 322‒4 for Lin Fu’s memorial.
- Ibid., p. 324; and Stephen Chang, Mingjj dongnan zhongguo, p. 245.
- Gaspar da Cruz, “The Treatise of Fr. Gaspar da Cruz, O.P.”, in Boxer, South China,
p. 192.
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