Editing Fernão Pires de Andrade (section)

===Initial contact with China===

After the [[Portuguese Malacca|conquest of Malacca]] in 1511, not only did the Portuguese monopolize the European [[spice]] trade, but they also met and traded avidly with Chinese merchants. When Portuguese under [[Diogo Lopes de Sequeira]] had earlier arrived in Malacca in 1509 to open trade relations, he was supported by the local Chinese merchants there (along with [[Javanese people|Javanese]] and [[Tamil people|Tamil]] merchants).<ref>Wolff, 311.</ref> D'Albuquerque sent [[Jorge Álvares]] to explore northward; his expedition sailed along the coast of [[Guangdong]] in 1513 and hoisted a flag on "[[Tuen Mun]] island". This mission was followed up later that year by [[Rafael Perestrello]], who later traded with Chinese merchants of [[Guangzhou|Canton]] in 1516. He provided an enticing report to other Portuguese on the lucrative trade in China. This prompted Andrade to speed up the course of his mission while stalled in Malacca and debate with his crew on whether to go to China or [[Bengal]].<ref name="cambridge 336">Wills, 336.</ref><ref>Dames, 247.</ref>