Seminars, expos and TV features will mark next year's 600th anniversary of the seven voyages of Zheng He, a Muslim eunuch who traveled as far as East Africa and perhaps, according to some theories, as far as pre-Columban America.

"We think what's left over from Zheng He's seven voyages to the West is that peaceful rise is the inevitable outcome of the development of Chinese history," Vice Communications Minister Xu Zuyuan told a briefing in Beijing.

The historical record suggests that Zheng He, commanding the most powerful ocean-going fleet of the day, did not colonize any newly discovered areas and did not enslave their inhabitants.

This fits nicely with the concept of China's peaceful rise, which has been touted avidly by Beijing in recent months to counter worries about the country's growing clout in everything from trade to security.

"The peaceful rise concept embodies the momentum and values of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and the nation's moral character of love and peace," Xu said.

Zheng He's voyages took place in a 28-year period ending in 1433, when he was abruptly stopped by the imperial government, for reason that are not entirely clear.

According to one theory, his explorations fell victim to bureaucratic infighting at the imperial court, while others claim the central government thought his trips too costly for the meager economic results they yielded.

Whatever the reason, it left the world's oceans nearly empty by the mid-15th century, allowing European explorers to carry out their revolutionary travels and eventually colonize large parts of the Americas, Asia and Africa.

WAR.WIRE