Answer: better leadership, foreign aid, knowledge of the land, and motivation.
Zheng He's first voyage (1405-1407) began in July 1405. They set sail from Liujiagan Port in Taicang of Jiangsu Province and headed westward. The fleet had about 208 vessels total, including 62 Treasure Ships, and more than 27,800 crewman. They traveled to present day Vietnam.
There were of course several people who held this view, but perhaps the most prominent was Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States, who pushed for a much more secure Europe after WWI to prevent such things from happening again.
