Answer:
(c) Spain and Portugal
Step-by-step explanation:
Portugal led the way in exploring sea routes to Africa, India, China, the archipelagos of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and South America.
So initially, the main players were the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Dutch and the British.
Eventually the British, with their superior navy, became the greatest traders.
Later the French were involved in India and Vietnam and from the middle of the 19th Century, most European powers joined the scramble for China.