---
product_id: 472986907
title: "Trade or War?: The Dutch East India Company in conflict with China in the 17th century, leading to the birth of modern Taiwan"
price: "121.85 DT"
currency: TND
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 3
url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/472986907-trade-or-war-the-dutch-east-india-company-in-conflict
store_origin: TN
region: Tunisia
---

# Trade or War?: The Dutch East India Company in conflict with China in the 17th century, leading to the birth of modern Taiwan

**Price:** 121.85 DT
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Trade or War?: The Dutch East India Company in conflict with China in the 17th century, leading to the birth of modern Taiwan
- **How much does it cost?** 121.85 DT with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/472986907-trade-or-war-the-dutch-east-india-company-in-conflict)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

"Trade or War?" describes the attempts of the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century to establish regular trade relations with China. As basis for their operations a small island off the coast of Taiwan was chosen, where a fortress was built, called Zeelandia. Gradually the DEIC began to colonize the whole island of Taiwan, which was still an independent territory at that time. The book describes many dramatic events, such as the naval battles that were fought with pirates and Chinese navy, the attempts of Reformed pastors to explain the principles of Christianity to a community of head hunters, and the siege of Zeelandia by an army of Ming loyalists. By the end of the century the Chinese had taken control of the island, while the native Taiwanese had been driven from their land. After the publication of the Dutch edition in 2011, Piet Emmer wrote on Januari 9, 2012, the following in a review in the Dutch national newspaper 'de Volkskrant': "The Dutch expansionism in the seventeenth century was impressive.... Incidentally, things sometimes went wrong. The most expensive failure was undoubtedly the decolonization of part of Brazil between 1630 and 1654... A second failure was the temporary conquest of Taiwan (then Formosa) in the patent area of the DEIC. Aad (Adrian) van Amstel, originally a physicist and living in China, has written an excellent, highly readable book about it." Piet Emmer in De Volkskrant

Review: Fascinating reading - Enjoyable journey learning about the Dutch in Formosa (now Taiwan). Pirates, skirmishes, adventure.....life for the "red barbarians" was certainly not dull.
Review: Excellent item arrived right on schedule! - Excellent item arrived right on schedule!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #3,747,479 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,970 in Chinese History (Books) #11,843 in Historical Study (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 10 Reviews |

## Images

![Trade or War?: The Dutch East India Company in conflict with China in the 17th century, leading to the birth of modern Taiwan - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71lkAc7oyGL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fascinating reading
*by B***G on May 10, 2024*

Enjoyable journey learning about the Dutch in Formosa (now Taiwan). Pirates, skirmishes, adventure.....life for the "red barbarians" was certainly not dull.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent item arrived right on schedule!
*by G***E on May 29, 2024*

Excellent item arrived right on schedule!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Exactly what I was looking for: a deep dive about the edges of empires
*by A***D on December 20, 2025*

A passion project of the author's. Deeply sourced and well told, with just the right number of asides to keep the narrative flowing

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*Product available on Desertcart Tunisia*
*Store origin: TN*
*Last updated: 2026-10-25*