`    ::??? The spread of the formula for gunpowder, along with the use of the very earliest gunpowder weapons is one thing, but the printing press proper is another matter entirely. I've seen that you were trying to use Joseph Needham's work to support your claims (without an inline citation I might add). I actually own his very extensive works, and am quite familiar with the early movable type printing process as pioneered by the 11th-century Chinese craftsman Bi Sheng; perhaps you've even seen my work at Shen Kuo about this very same topic. If you were familiar with both the Song-era Chinese movable type invention and the European movable type printing press as developed by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, you would certainly be aware that Gutenberg's method was very different from the Chinese, especially with its use of the screw press; the screw was not used in ancient or even Middle-Imperial China until introduced by European travelers in the 17th century. It seems that, despite the presence of Europeans in medieval China, including Marco Polo, the technology of movable type was not directly transferred, although woodblock printing, a Chinese innovation of the 9th century AD (and perhaps earlier in the 7th century), is somewhat debatable. In either case, none of this has anything to do with Zheng He or the Ming treasure fleet sailing into the Mediterranean and docking along the shores of the Italian peninsula. Please, let's stay focused on the article and discuss this someplace else. Thank you. `