A Study On Diplomatic Strategy To Nanyang In The Early Ming Dynasty(from 1368 To 1435)

Geographically, the Southeast Asian countries are our China's neighbors, and we have witnessed a long history of peace and friendly exchanges between the two peoples. To research on the diplomatic relations between China and Nanyang countries in history may not only be good for cultivating a comprehensive understanding on the pattern of international relations of Oriental civilization, but also obtain some inspiration about contemporary diplomatic development. The purport of this paper is trying to investigate the imperial edicts and other relevant materials to Nanyang countries from four Emperors including Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji, thus making it possible to learn that how to "bring order out of chaos" and discard the militaristic nationalism in Yuan Dynasty after the Ming Dynasty being founded,which contributes to the ultimate success of ancient diplomatic relations.Concretely speaking, when Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, in the face of domestic trouble and foreign invasion situation at home and abroad, he adopted a foreign policy of neighborly and friendly spirit, and successfully have a reconstruction of the diplomatic order between China and Nanyang countries. On this basis, Zhu Di carried out the open Tribute-trade and took the policy of incentives and penalti,resulting an unprecedented diplomatic event. After the Yongle-era,influenced by domestic political and economic environment, thediplomatic policy of Ming Dynasty gradually developed from openness to conservative in the end. In addition, the diplomatic etiquette, prohibition of sea trade, the Annan Conquest, ZhengHe's Voyages and other foreign policy are also analyzed. Finally, the ancients diplomatic wisdom and its practical guiding significance will be shared by summing up the Nanyang strategy in the early Ming Danasty.