Five Chinese Envoys Bring Major Mission to the Arab World: Is It Really Just Diplomacy?
Far before the modern era, the global geopolitical and economic landscape was coloured by intense cross-continental interactions. During the golden age of Islamic civilisation, the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula positioned themselves as the centre of gravity for world trade.
This strategic position attracted the attention of the Chinese Empire, prompting it to open direct lines of communication, both through the overland Silk Road and massive maritime expeditions.
The arrival of envoys, diplomats, and imperial fleets from China at major ports such as Hormuz, Aden, and the shores of the Red Sea represented a carefully planned strategic manoeuvre.
These journeys across the Indian Ocean and desert sands were driven by various state motives, ranging from securing supplies of exotic commodities, establishing diplomatic relations (tribute system), to conducting in-depth observations of the social, legal, and cultural order in the heart of the Islamic world.
Here are five historically recorded Chinese envoys and scholars who travelled to the Arabian Peninsula during the Islamic era:
- Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho)
As the highest admiral of the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century, Zheng He led the largest maritime fleet of his time. The geopolitical aim of these expeditions was to project the power of the Ming Empire to the western regions.
In the Middle East, the fleet docked at crucial trading points such as Aden (Yemen), Dhofar (Oman), and Hormuz (Iran).
Zheng He was tasked with carrying decrees from Emperor Yongle to build state-to-state diplomatic relations and secure trade routes for spices, silk, and other valuable goods. He also specifically dispatched diplomatic delegations to Jeddah and Mecca.
- Ma Huan
In cross-cultural diplomacy, language is the primary instrument. Ma Huan, a Muslim scholar (Hui ethnicity), served as the official translator for Arabic and Persian in Zheng He’s fleet.
His skills facilitated complex negotiations between the Ming Empire and rulers in the Arabian Peninsula. His greatest achievement was his visit to Mecca, which he comprehensively documented in the manuscript Yingya Shenglan.
His report presents demographic analysis, social structures, and Hajj pilgrimage practices, making it one of the most accurate Chinese intelligence and sociological documents on the centre of Islam.
- Wang Jinghong
As the deputy commander of Zheng He’s fleet, Wang Jinghong was in charge of logistical operations and the implementation of diplomatic policies on the ground. While the fleet operated in Middle Eastern waters, he was responsible for overseeing the exchange of state gifts with local rulers on the shores of the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.
Wang Jinghong played an essential role in ensuring that navigation routes and transit ports in the Arab region remained open and safe for the Ming Empire’s trading fleet, as well as maintaining stability in bilateral relations with local sultanates.
- Fei Xin
Fei Xin served as a literary and military staff member participating in the Ming Dynasty’s maritime expeditions. His primary focus was technical and economic observation. Through his work, Xingcha Shenglan, Fei Xin compiled an economic intelligence report detailing military navigation routes, port depths, and market analyses in Arab countries.
His report provided guidance to the empire on high-value strategic commodities from the Middle East in the Chinese market, such as premium frankincense, pearls, and purebred Arabian horses.
- Du Huan
Going back to the 8th century in the Tang Dynasty era, Du Huan’s journey to the Middle East began with a military incident. He was an officer captured by Abbasid Caliphate forces following the Battle of Talas (751 AD).
For approximately a decade, Du Huan resided in the centres of Islamic power, including Kufa (Iraq). His experiences were recorded in Jingxingji, which became the first Chinese literature to systematically describe Islamic Sharia law, advancements in Arab medical science, and the structure of Abbasid governance. These notes opened early Chinese insights into Islamic civilisation in the Middle East.