The 15,000 number seemed quite high based on my understanding of China’s complet...

The 15,000 number seemed quite high based on my understanding of China’s complete lack of capability in maritime warfare from about 1700s onward. Apparently, though, during the Míng dynasty China had a large fleet, which had a reported size of 3500 [0, unacademic] or 2700 and 3000 ships [1, academic]. They were exploring the Asian sub-continent in the so-called “Treasure fleets” [2], but those fleets did not go nearly as far as the European traders who would arrive in Canton and Macau from mainland Europe in the 1500s.