WI Chinese Fleet had an outflanking mission?

Vasco de Gama had several mission objectives including finding and joining the legendary Christian King Prester John and attacking Islamic force in the rear. This was more or less achieved by Vasco's son Cristovao whose 400 musketeers successfully fought alongside Ethiopian Forces against the Ottomans in 1541 as well as naval battles such as the Battle of Diu turning the Indian Ocean into a Portuguese racket.

So WI the Chinese Treasure Fleet of 1405 to 1435 was given objectives like these? Perhaps attacking the Timurid Empire from the Arabian Sea would keep them off China's land border?
 
The treasure fleets didn't have any more than 30,000 people or so. That's not really enough of a force to make any significant conquests, and if you put more men on the ships you really lose a lot of range because your supply requirements are higher, and the men you add would eat into any space for supplies.

There were really more analogous to the Great White Fleet than the Spanish Armada, the later of which didn't have nearly as far to travel.
 
The treasure fleets didn't have any more than 30,000 people or so. That's not really enough of a force to make any significant conquests, and if you put more men on the ships you really lose a lot of range because your supply requirements are higher, and the men you add would eat into any space for supplies.

There were really more analogous to the Great White Fleet than the Spanish Armada, the later of which didn't have nearly as far to travel.

Any Chinese troops wouldn't be the whole army, merely a stiffener to an ally if needed, like Cristavao's 400 musketeers with the Ethiopian army. In addition the influx of Chinese goods on the Treasure Fleet would help that ally fund campaigns against mutual enemies/threats.

Byzatnium used to do a similar thing, court the nation/tribe on the far side of the nation/tribe on their borders with fancy Byzantine goods.
 
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