Puankhequa had seven sons, two of whom were engaged in trade and providing market intelligence about tea and silk for the Canton firm from other parts of China and Japan.

As a young man he learned to speak, read and write Spanish and had some skills in pidgin English, which facilitated trading with the Europeans.

In promoting his business, he had no scruples when it came to manipulating officials or bribing the "Hoppo" (The Guangdong Customs Supervisor) and passing the costs on to the Europeans.

From the 1740s to 1760, Puankhequa traded out of the Dafeng Hang (達豐行), which he managed in partnership with his Chen family accomplices and his brother Seequa (潘瑟官).

He founded the Fujian mai-ch'iao, the Fujianese merchants in temporary residence in Canton, an association for business and social events.

The Dutch had set up a punsch tent in Huangpu near the ships and the captain had trouble keeping his crew away from the place.

[21] In September 1768, the Swedes made an unsuccessful attempt at selling Swedish woolen cloth and camlet to the Chinese traders.

[22] Some Swedish supercargos stayed in Canton for several years, one of them was Jean Abraham Grill who became friends with Puankhequa and made several profitable deals with him when buying tea.

[23] At first, the English were wary of Puankhequa because of his many schemes and debts, but in the 1780s they started to accept him and talked about him as "a merchant the most to be depended on".

[24] In order to facilitate trade Puankhequa would on occasion give informal dinners for foreign traders at his country house.

[25] In 1806, Puankhequa II was in correspondence with Sir Joseph Banks who thanked him for botanical specimens he had supplied for Kew Gardens.

The documentation regarding the painting mentions him as personal friend of Sahlgren and adviser to the Swedish East India Company.

[31] Puankhequa is also depicted in a big mural in the museum (formerly the East India House) where he is seen negotiating with Swedish merchants on the shore of the Pearl River.

[29] The first recorded visit by a Chinese to Sweden was made by the merchant and linguist (translator) for the Swedish East India Company, Choi A-fuk (or Afock), in 1786.