THE PHILIPPINES AND TRADE WITH CHINA (NEW SPAIN) - HISTORY - 2024

The Philippines and trade with China served the Spanish Empire to establish a productive commercial exchange with Asia through New Spain. Goods arriving from Southeast Asia, Japan, Indonesia, India and, especially, China, were channeled to Europe from Manila via New Spain.

Thus, ships from the Philippines to New Spain carried silk, carpets, jade, toys, furniture, and porcelain from China. From the Spice Islands came cinnamon, cloves, pepper, nutmeg and other elements.

Return route established by Fray Andrés de Urdaneta and Felipe de Salcedo

Products of cotton, ivory, precious stones, fine textiles, wood carvings, and curry came from India. The vessels also contained ivory from Cambodia and camphor, pottery and gems from Borneo, among other products.

From Acapulco to Manila, the galleons carried mainly silver and manufactured goods from Europe. Asians used this precious metal from the New World to conduct business transactions and accumulate wealth.

The China-Philippines trade during colonial times

The Philippines' trade ties with China date back to the Sung dynasty (960-1279). At that time, sampans (Chinese ships) frequented Philippine trade centers to exchange their products for gold dust. On a smaller scale, it was also exchanged for local products.

Thus, silk of all kinds, ivory and precious stones of all colors topped the long list of products traded between China and the Philippines. Other important goods brought in by sampan traders included substantial amounts of iron, saltpeter, gunpowder, copper, nails, and other metals.

Post-discovery period of the Philippines

Later, after the discovery of the Philippines (1521), the Spanish people took advantage of this trade. They also received benefits in the areas of construction, as well as fortification and defense.

The import of iron bars and gunpowder from China became regular. This helped the Colony against local uprisings and external incursions against the Philippine settlements.

From 1521 the relationship with the Philippines and trade with China were strengthened. The silver from New Spain sent from Acapulco gave the stimulus for the gradual transformation of Manila. The latter was consolidated as the center of consumption and distribution of the Colony and as an important station in the Pacific trade.

The Manila Galleon

The exchange of merchandise from the Philippines and trade with China were based on the use of galleons. Ships of this type assigned to the voyage between Manila and Acapulco were called Manila galleons. They were also known by the names of the Manila-Acapulco galleon, the Acapulco galleon or the China nao.

These ships brought silver ingots and minted coins to the Philippines, which were exchanged for Chinese products that arrived in Manila.

The galleons sailed once or twice a year. Sometimes they traveled in convoys, but most of the time only one ship made the trip. Only a few times did the vessels sail from Manila directly to Spain. After being intercepted by pirates, the Spanish Crown prohibited the direct route.

Travel time

The navigation of these galleons used to take about six months, since they sailed a long and dangerous route.

The departures from Manila had to be made in specific months of the year, taking advantage of the favorable winds. If the departure was delayed, the ship could encounter storms both when leaving the archipelago and during the crossing.

Consequently, each arrival in New Spain of the Manila galleon was celebrated with a party. The Acapulco Fair was then held, where merchandise was sold wholesale and retail.

The large merchants authorized by the Spanish Crown acquired them and then resold them. Resale prices in Europe were high for being considered luxury goods.

The transpacific route

In 1521 the Spanish traveled the New Spain-Philippines route for the first time. At that time, the Magellan-Elcano expedition was looking for a route west to the Spice Islands, which was a group of islands highly coveted for its nutmeg and cloves. On that trip the Philippines was discovered.

Then, 44 years later, the expedition of Fray Andrés de Urdaneta and Felipe de Salcedo established the way back. On October 8, 1565, the first ship sailed from Manila arrived at the port of Acapulco; With this, the transpacific route began, which lasted about 250 years.

Connection between Asia and Spain

The trans-Pacific route helped link the Philippines and trade with China with New Spain. Similarly, this connection put the Asian continent in contact with Spain. This route ran between the port of Acapulco (New Spain) and the port of Manila (Philippines).

However, it took another 9 years (1574) for New Hispanic merchants to participate in that trade. This delay was due to doubts about the possibility of commercialization of Asian products.

In 1593 the Spanish Empire intervened in the dynamics with the Philippines and trade with China, and issued a first regulation of trans-Pacific trade.

Through this regulation, any other port other than Manila and Acapulco was prohibited from benefiting from the route. Only the merchants of the consulate in both ports (Seville and New Spain) and the Spanish Crown could take part. In this way, the business became a state monopoly.

End of the commercial monopoly

Spain's relations with the Philippines and trade with China suffered a severe setback during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) between Great Britain and France.

Spain sided with France. Then, the British forces of the British East India Company attacked and captured Manila in 1762. The Treaty of Paris of 1764 ended the war and returned Manila to Spain.

Deterioration of relationships

The Chinese community in Manila had aided the British during the occupation, so the relationship between the Spanish and Chinese administrators deteriorated.

In addition, the loss of prestige of Spain in the Philippines by this military defeat provoked more rebellions. Faced with this scenario, Spanish administrators tried to improve the economic prospects of the Philippines: export crops of sugar, indigo, poppy, hemp and tobacco were encouraged.

However, the limitation of all Philippine trade to Acapulco ended in 1815. This allowed direct trade with Europe. When New Spain achieved its independence in 1821, the Philippines no longer depended exclusively on New Spain.

References

1. Sales Colín, O. (2000). The Acapulco port movement: the role of New Spain in the relationship with the Philippines, 1587-1648. Mexico d. F.:Plaza and Valdés.
2. Qoxasoh, SD (1991). The South China Trade with Spanish Philippine Colony up to 1762. International Seminar for UNESCO Integral Study of the Silk Roads. Taken from en.unesco.org.
3. Hays, J. (2015). Manila Galleons. Taken from factsanddetails.com.
4. Córdoba Toro, J. (2017, January 31). The Manila Galleon. Taken from iberoamericasocial.com.
5. Mejía, LM (2010). The Manila Galleon. The transpacific route. Mexican Archeology No. 105, pp. 34-38.
6. Gómez Méndez, SO; Ortiz Paz, R.; Sales Colín, O. and Sánchez Gutierrez, J. (2003). Mexico history. Mexico: Editorial Limusa.
7. Watkins, T. (s / f). The Political and Economic History of the Philippine Islands. Taken from applet-magic.com.