Los Angeles, CA -- Christopher Columbus gets credit for discovering America, but a retired British sub commander is convinced a Chinese skipper beat him to the punch 71 years earlier.

Gavin Menzies has spent the last nine years promoting the theory that Chinese admiral named "Zheng He" brought more than 100 ships and 30,000 men to mainland America in 1421, visiting the Caribbean islands and parts of the eastern U.S.

Menzies says the Chinese explorers weren't enslavers of the Native Americans because, in his words, "they were so self-confident they assumed everyone would be delighted to trade with China."

He's specialty was plants that could be used for food or clothing and Menzies credits the explorer with bringing cotton from Africa to America, and sweet potatoes from the southwest U.S. to the South Pacific.

Menzies discusses his theories on "1421: The Year China Discovered America," a PBS special debuting tomorrow (Jul. 21).

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