Cook, Theodore F. "The Chinese Discovery of the New World, 15th Century"
Divergence: 1433 CE
What if: The Ming emperors had not begun to shut down the powerful Chinese navy, and Zheng He had continued his voyages of exploration around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Atlantic.
Summary: Essay discussing the possible effect of Chinese contact with Portugal and the rest of Europe in the 15th century.
Published: In What If? 2: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been (ed. Robert Cowley), q.v.