This short conclusion reconsiders the traditional explanations for why the Portuguese embassy of 1517 was rejected in light of the preceding chapters. More specifically, it throws doubt on whether cultural differences truly played a decisive role in determining the embassy’s fate. It also questions the degree to which the term “colonialism” is appropriate to describe the events of the book. Finally, it rejects the idea that Chinese isolationism derailed the diplomatic process. Instead, it argues that the fundamental cause of the rejection was the internal politics of the Ming Empire itself.