Why did the Chinese require the Portuguese to pay for goods in gold and silver when trading?

Portuguese goods were less valuable than Chinese goods.

The Chinese already had a surplus of Portuguese goods.

The imperial government wanted to stockpile gold and silver.

Portuguese and Chinese currencies were not exchangeable.

The correct answer is A) Portuguese goods were less valuable than Chinese goods

Explanation:

At the time, the Chinese civilization was one of the most advanced in the world. The products they made including silk, ornaments, porcelain etc had a lot of value in countries like Portugal who had a growing income.

However, Portuguese products were not of very high quality. The Portuguese developed textiles, wooden products and even imported new agriculture products from South America. However, these products were not considered valuable in China.

Hence, Ming China wanted the Portuguese to pay in more valuable for Gold and Silver.