Zheng He (1371–1433) voyaging to the Western Seas seems unrelated to American history, which officially begins with Columbus discovering the New World. However, comparing Zheng He’s expeditions with Columbus can provide perspective on global history.

Before Columbus, North America was largely inhabited by Indigenous peoples and bison. The Plains Indians primarily survived by hunting bison. Meanwhile, China was the Ming Dynasty, a major Eastern civilization. By the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, the United States had not yet declared independence. During the Kang-Qian prosperity, China’s GDP accounted for about 35% of the world’s total; by 1830 it dropped to 29% (still the largest), by 1900 to 6%, and by 1945 to 4%. By the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, it fell to 2%. Since the reform and opening-up, China’s GDP share has gradually increased, reaching 13% by 2018, while the U.S. share was 19%.

Zheng He’s voyages were a landmark in world maritime history, occurring more than 80 years before Columbus’s discovery of the New World. The scale, duration, manpower, funding, and ships of Zheng He’s fleet far exceeded those of Columbus. However, Zheng He did not “discover” a new continent, as the Ming emperors had no interest in discovery. Therefore, the impact of Zheng He’s voyages on world history was far less than Columbus’s.

Given China’s power at the time, it was entirely possible to organize 100 fleets of 250 men each, compared to Columbus’s first voyage, which had only three ships and 88 men. Had Zheng He truly explored the “New World” over 20 years, he could have spread Confucian benevolence rather than the “bloody love of God” seen in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Such a scenario could have rewritten centuries of global history. Unfortunately, the Ming emperors and their advisors lacked global vision and ambition, missing the opportunity.

Zheng He’s voyages did promote peace and exchange between Asia and Africa, foster international trade, and spread Chinese culture. However, they did not give rise to Chinese capitalism, because there was no economic demand: the seven major expeditions brought limited profit, with expenditures exceeding any gains. For example, the 1 million taels of silver brought back were used to rebuild the Nanjing Da Bao’en Temple.

Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci noted that the Chinese emperor and people “never intended to wage aggressive wars,” as they were “satisfied with what they had, without ambitions of conquest.” National Geographic (1998) stated that Zheng He was the only Eastern navigator who “never expressed aspirations for colonialism.”

Historians have speculated that a Ming Dynasty gold medallion unearthed in 1994 in eastern North Carolina may have originated from Zheng He’s fleet, suggesting that some of his ships may have reached the Americas during his seven voyages over 28 years, traveling to more than 30 countries and regions. If so, Zheng He may have been the first to reach the New World, though he remained unknown and had little impact on global history.

Furthermore, the world map “Kunyu Wanguo Quantu” presented to the Ming emperor by Matteo Ricci in 1601 may have been based on charts created by Zheng He, later copied in Europe and mistakenly credited to Europeans as the first creators.