nt." (180) This view was largely responsible for China's lack of involvement with the business of international trade. Until 1405, China's contact with outsiders was kept to a minimum; occasional emissaries from other countries came to pay tribute to the emperor, and border skirmishes with the Mongols were dealt with when necessary. On the whole, the Chinese shied away from all foreign involvement whenever they could.
             When Zhu Di captured the dragon throne from his nephew in 1402, these Confucian policies were promptly thrown out. Just one year after he became China's emperor, Zhu Di began the construction of a massive fleet of trading ships, warships, and support vessels to reintroduce China to the rest of the world. The entirety of the Chinese empire was thrown into the task; everyone from silk-makers to loggers was required to meet production quotas to supply the fleet. In about three years Zhu Di's people produced these ships and the gifts to fill their hulls. Once Zheng He was named as the commander of the fleet, they were ready to sail.
             The purpose of this treasure fleet and the expeditions it made isn't completely clear, although from evidence presented some fair assumptions can be made. The fleet was undoubtedly a diplomatic tool wielded by Zhu Di. It was also a way to jump-start trade between China and other nations of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. Finally, the fleet served as a probe into the unknown; it was one of Confucianist China's few attempts at explo
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