Thread:GravityMan/@comment-26604869-20150719125711

China has been a country that multiple times slowed down it's own progress, on intention. The same happened with the Ottoman and Russian Emire. It is the reason the West managed to keep up. It is because China has been unified for a long time, and the rulers didn't want too much to change in a short time. Therefore, people like COlumbus did not face Zheng He; the government took away Zheng's founding, while COlumbus was supported by a monarchy that was competing with other countries in Europe. Europe's division gave the west the short ooppurtunity to keep up with other countries like China, but that is changing these days, as'slow' China slowly industrializes and becomes the world's most dominant country once again.

Sources:

Ian Morrias -Why the West Rules - for now

Jared Diamiond - Guns, germs and steel

William MccNeill - Rise of the West

David Landes - The Wealth and poverty of nations

Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson - Why nations fail

Martin Jacques - When China Rules the World 