Which of the following occurred in 1435 that changed china’s relationship with the rest of the world? zheng he explored the coasts of southeast asia and india and the entrances to the red sea and the persian gulf. the ming emperor prevented the building of large ships and stopped expeditions, which halted overseas exploration. a portuguese merchant arrived in china to negotiate trade agreements and was welcomed by the ming emperor. the ming emperor expanded the building of seagoing ships for trade expeditions, thereby promoting overseas exploration.