I can break down my question further if it helps.
A - Discovery
1: When was the Ming government sure that the America's existed?
2: Why was there no expedition east? The Chinese certainly had the naval history and resources to afford at least one.
B - Columbian Exchange
1: How did the new species of plants and animals affect Chinese cuisine/nutrition/agriculture?
2: Did the Ming government intervene or promote this exchange?
C - Precious metals
1: Was there a shortage of precious metals in China at the time?
2: Did the Ming recognise the origin of Spanish silver?
3: If so, why was there no attempt to find their own silver mountain or El Dorado? Or to annex the silver mountain themselves, considering their military strength?
4: If the answer is due to isolationism, how did the Ming attempt to restore their advantageous trading position to the Europeans?
D - Further reading
Can you recommend me further reading on this topic (in English if at all possible)? Or any of the topics I touched on in this question?
I would like to thank in advance for any answers that are sent my way. This topic has been boggling my mind for a long while. I hope I can better understand the Chinese perspective on the discovery of the america's after this.
2: Why was there no expedition east? The Chinese certainly had the naval history and resources to afford at least one.
Um .... no. I defer to the FAQ to answer this.
China had neither the history nor the resources to do so.
1: Was there a shortage of precious metals in China at the time?
Prior Ming practice of de-valuating paper money by printing more and more of them to pay off government debt led to general rejection of paper money and an insistence on silver as currency.
2: Did the Ming recognise the origin of Spanish silver?
Yes, this was no secret. By the 1600s, most of the silver produced in the Americas were shipped to Manila. They were traded for spices, silk, porcelain, etc. and then finally these precious goods were sent back to the Americas to be transported finally to Europe.
3: If so, why was there no attempt to find their own silver mountain or El Dorado? Or to annex the silver mountain themselves, considering their military strength?
I'm sure plenty of adventurers sought their own mountains of silver. I'm not sure what you are getting at here.
The late Ming period saw mandarins come to Manila to demand Spanish tribute. The Spanish largely wanted to keep good relations with the emperor but never paid tribute.
Military strength? To do what, invade the Americas? The late Ming period saw a very weak and inept central government.
This thread has very good perspective on continuing imperial failure to control the coastal areas, in contrast with booming trade by "Chinese" merchants in what is today called the South China Sea. I propose we rename this to the Hokkien Sea, because the Hokkiens largely ran this trade despite imperial ban.
4: If the answer is due to isolationism, how did the Ming attempt to restore their advantageous trading position to the Europeans?
See the linked thread above.
further reading on this topic
This is a bit tough because I don't there is a one stop shop for your entire set of questions. But this website is a fantastic overview of that period, and in particular, China's interaction with Europe and the larger world. It doesn't address the limitations of "empire" in China, which is important. For that, I like Spencer's "The Search for Modern China" which covers the late Ming period to the present. I also like Gunn's "History without Borders: The Making of an Asian World Region" which covers a lot of the other aspects.