British ships began to appear sporadically around the coasts of China from 1635 on; without establishing formal relations through the tributary system, British merchants were allowed to trade at the ports of Zhoushan and Xiamen in addition to Guangzhou.
British ships began to appear sporadically around the coasts of China from 1635 on. British merchants were allowed to trade at the ports of Zhoushan and Xiamen in addition to Guangzhou. British merchants were establishing formal relations through the tributary system.