Dr Jorge Santos Alves contributed to Panel Two of Day Two of this 2-day workshop.
Pahang was an important port for the operations and investments of overseas Chinese networks in Southeast Asia by the end of the 15th century. In the early decades of the 16th century, Pahang's significance grew even greater, as Chinese businessmen established commercial partnerships with Portuguese, Luso-Asians, and other Asians, enhancing trade with ports in southern China, particularly in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. This paper will utilise previously published Chines documentation alongside relevant printed or unpublished European/Portuguese documentation. Among the unpublished Portuguese documentation, a document from 1520 stands out, containing the guidelines for the first treaty signed by Pahang with a European power, Portugal.
