▁to ▁make ▁choices ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁economic ▁or ▁strateg ic ▁value ▁of ▁each ▁possession . ▁John ▁III ▁decided ▁to ▁abandon ▁Saf im ▁and ▁Az am or ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 1 , ▁followed ▁by ▁Ar z ila ▁and ▁Alc á cer ▁C eg uer ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 9 . ▁The ▁for tr esses ▁of ▁Ce uta , ▁Tang iers ▁and ▁Maz agan ▁were ▁strength ened ▁" to ▁face ▁the ▁new ▁military ▁techniques , ▁im posed ▁by ▁the ▁general ization ▁of ▁heavy ▁art illery , ▁combined ▁with ▁light ▁fire ▁weapons ▁and ▁bl ades ". ▁ ▁John ▁III ' s ▁court ▁j ester ▁was ▁João ▁de ▁S á ▁Pan as co , ▁a ▁black ▁African , ▁who ▁was ▁eventually ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁pr estig ious ▁Order ▁of ▁Saint ▁James ▁based ▁on ▁his ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁Con quest ▁of ▁Tun is ▁( 1 5 3 5 ). ▁ ▁L uso - As ian ▁relations ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁John ▁III , ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁had ▁already ▁reached ▁S iam ▁( 1 5 1 1 ), ▁the ▁Mal u ku ▁Islands ▁( 1 5 1 2 ), ▁the ▁Chinese ▁litt oral ▁( 1 5 1 3 ), ▁C anton ▁( 1 5 1 7 ) ▁and ▁Tim or ▁( 1 5 1 5 ). ▁During ▁John ' s ▁rule , ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁reached ▁Japan , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁John ' s ▁reign , ▁Mac au ▁was ▁offered ▁to ▁Portugal ▁by ▁China . ▁From ▁India , ▁John ▁III ▁imported ▁an ▁amaz ing ▁variety