Leibniz and China

Why was Leibniz so fascinated by Chinese philosophy and culture? What specific forms did his interest take and how did it compare with the relative indifference of his philosophical contemporaries and others such as Spinoza and Locke? Franklin Perkins examines Leibniz''s voluminous writings on the subject and suggests that his interest originated within his own philosophy since the nature of his metaphysical and theological views required him to take Chinese thought seriously.