Asia-Pacific in the Making of the Americas: Toward a Global History

Conclusion

In summary, Juan Cobo conceived, executed, published and disseminated this book in sixteenth century Manila. Cobo executed this work barely a few decades after Mexicans from New Spain in America founded the city to facilitate trade with Great China, using the rising tide of Chinese traders, artisans and settlers from southern Fujian to facilitate commercial interaction with the China mainland, where these Spanish-Americans were not welcome. Although the Dominican friar Juan Cobo, unlike Augustinian Martín de Rada before him, never set foot in China proper, that did not prevent him from mastering spoken and written Chinese to produce these two early works involving translation of scientific, cultural and religious ideas, from Spanish to Chinese and Chinese to Spanish.

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