The Dutch bid to control southeast Asia's spice trade hinged on two principal strategies: the first: the first was to directly attack Iberian assets in the region, including Portugal's stronghold at Malacca and Spanish shipping between Manila and Acapulco; the second was to forge alliances with local rulers and offer protection in exchange for trading concessions.
Belanda merebut kontrol perdagangan rempah-rempah Asia Tenggara dengan dua strategi utama: pertama, menyerang langsung aset-aset Iberia di kawasan tersebut, yang meliputi kekuatan Portugal di Malaka dan perkapalan Spanyol di antara Manila dan Acapulco; kedua, memalsukan aliansi dengan para penguasa lokal dan menawarkan perlindungan dengan balasan hak perdagangan.