First, the Spanish closed all their ports to Dutch ships. Image: Unknown author/Wikimedia Commons/Public DomainThe Portuguese, who arrested the Dutch sailors, wanted nothing more than to remove these protestants threatening their trade monopoly. The Portuguese also sabotaged Chinese attempts at communication with the Dutch ships, either through translation or bribery. A year later, the Dutch finally learned of the fate of the imprisoned sailors. The fate of the 17 Dutch sailors was revealed one year later.