1776: Italy sends diplomats to Pegu (S Burma), makes a trading treaty. 1779: Italy makes a trading treaty with Bengal. 1780s: Champa (S Vietnam), Thailand and Pegu invade the sinicized nations of Laos, Vietnam and Ava (N Burma) and even the South of China, including the former kingdom of Dali. It is quite obvious that the emperor has lost the Mandate of Heaven. 1782: Tsunami in the South China Sea kills ~40,000. 1783: Italy makes a trading treaty with Melaka. 1784: Italy makes a trading treaty with Thailand. 1787: Italy makes a trading treaty with Khmer. 1797: Nanjing besieged by Lin Xiaolong.