I've heard the leadership in China love that story about China's bureaucracy ordering the burning of the boats of Zheng He[1]. "From 1405 to 1433, large fleets

I've heard the leadership in China love that story about China's bureaucracy ordering the burning of the boats of Zheng He[1]. "From 1405 to 1433, large fleets commanded by Admiral Zheng He – under the auspices of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty – traveled to the Indian Ocean seven times. This attempt did not lead China to global expansion, as the Confucian bureaucracy under the next emperor reversed the policy of open exploration and by 1500, it became a capital offence to build a seagoing junk with more than two masts.[18] " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_exploration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_exploration