The Impact of the Macao-Manila Silk Trade from the Beginnings to 1640

Macao and Manila were two very important trade centers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, trading silk, silver and porcelain from China to the west. Much of this was due to their geographical position, acting as a gateway between China, Japan, India and America. This led to growing European interest in dominating the Macao-Manila routes, especially amongst Portuguese traders.