History buffs

[Scourge]

The Chinese had almost no ocean-worthy vessels throughout most of their history, and exploration was never a priority. Nobody really knew Taiwan existed.

The Chinese almost never even had any contact with Japan, aside from a few sailors who were blown to Okinawa. Almost all cultural interchange happened via Korea until the late 19th century.

Now I don't think you're being quite generous enough to the Chinese, regarding their early sea navigation and cultural interchange. I hate coming across as though I'm sticking up for mainland China, btw; seriously.

Also, about Japan, the first written records regarding Japan are in Chinese history sources dating back from AD257.

[StriderKyo]

Now I don't think you're being quite generous enough to the Chinese, regarding their early sea navigation and cultural interchange. I hate coming across as though I'm sticking up for mainland China, btw; seriously.

Zheng He's voyages were an isolated incident, though. They almost bankrupted the state and led not at all indirectly to Zhu Di being deposed. In fact, almost immediately after those voyages China went into a long self-imposed period of isolation from the outside world. Gavin Menzies has a very entertaining and largely spurious book about the voyages called 1421.

Also, about Japan, the first written records regarding Japan are in Chinese history sources dating back from AD257.

That's right, and it was one of only a handful of times a Chinese ruler sent a formal delegation to Japan over the course of 2000 years of Japanese history, and it didn't result in the establishment of any formal ties. Han and Wei sent delegations there in the 3rd century AD, and as far as we know that was it until the Nara period.

[voltz]

And that leads to the end of the world as we know it, the M.A.D. principle. Yeah, that'd be great. We could even have voltz riding one of the nukes himself, Slim Pickens style.

I need a pic like that for my avatar.

[Calliander]

Gavin Menzies has a very entertaining and largely spurious book about the voyages called 1421.

Good book. As far as I'm concerned, the Chinese discovered America first.

[bbobb]

Right, so subtract 200 years (I was speaking roughly) from the date the island was signed over to japan, and you come up with that 17th century date. Prior to that, the island wasn't just independent, it was semi-mythical. The Chinese had almost no ocean-worthy vessels throughout most of their history, and exploration was never a priority. Nobody really knew Taiwan existed.

Actually for about 70 or so years prior to the Chinese taking over (give or take a few... I don't remember exactly how long) the Dutch and then the Spanish controlled Taiwan.

Before that it was unimportant.