In the heart of the 16th century, while the Spanish Empire reigned over vast territories, from the Americas to the Philippines, someone dared to dream even bigger. A secret, visionary, and audacious plan began to take shape among governors and conquistadors: to invade China and turn it into a new Spanish colony. They called it la empresa de China, “the China enterprise.”

It sounds unbelievable, but the idea was seriously discussed and planned during the 1580s. The concept was born in the Philippines, where Spanish officials—riding high on their conquests of the Aztec and Inca empires—became convinced that the mighty Ming Empire could also be subdued. All it would take, they claimed, was the right mix of European soldiers, Christian missionaries, local merchants, and strategic alliances.

One of its most fervent advocates was Alonso Sánchez, a Jesuit who had lived in Asia and dreamed of converting the entire East. He presented King Philip II with a detailed proposal: 20,000 well-equipped troops, alliances with discontented Chinese factions, support from the Portuguese in Macao, and even a moral justification, bringing the Gospel to a "pagan" land.

The plan envisioned a swift landing, the seizure of several coastal cities, and a gradual conquest of the interior. According to its architects, the mission was feasible: “The Chinese,” they claimed, “are many, but poorly trained; all it takes is a decisive blow.” Essentially, they imagined replicating the “Cortés formula” on Asian soil.

But China was no Mexico. And some at court knew this well. Although intrigued, Philip II never gave his approval. Too many unknowns, too high a cost, and too great a distance. Yet the most curious part is that the idea was never entirely discarded. It resurfaced in various forms for decades, until it finally faded away with the collapse of Spain’s imperial ambitions.

La empresa de China never became reality. It remained a terrifying and seemingly absurd colonial utopia, but one that continues to intrigue: a world where Mandarin might have blended with Castilian, where baroque churches could have risen beside pagodas, and where European missionaries might have debated theology with Ming bureaucrats.