CHINA In their Own Words from Strategy to Tactics to Mao

CHINA

In their Own Words from Strategy to Tactics to Mao

 

Modern Chinese leaders accept and proudly advocate continuity across Chinese history.  All of them see China as the center of the world, with other civilizations paying homage to a way of life based on “harmony.”  That harmony is defined as a divinely inspired leader that knows best for everyone and a society where each person fills a dictated position without concern for individual desires.  This is in opposition to western society’s ideals and values.  These leaders from Sun Tzu to Xi Jinping have not hesitated to describe their intentions In Their Own Words. 

 

Strategy

  • Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Way to survival or extinction. 

The Art of War Sun Tzu

  • It has been China’s dream for a century to become the world’s leading nation.

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era.  Liu Mingfu

  • As China rises to the status of a great power in the 21st century, its aim is nothing less than the top—to be the leader of the modern global economy

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • To Mao Zedong, if the Chinese people couldn’t surpass the United States, they deserve to have their membership in humanity revoked

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • To adopt socialist policy too hastily would likely lead to failure. Rather, China should rest and proceed in waves.  Just like the man who plans to walk a great distance, a growing nation, too, needs the occasional rest.

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • When China becomes the leading nation, it will be the outcome of the struggle between the largest socialist nation and the world’s largest capitalist nation, and rove that socialism with Chinese characteristics is the superior system

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • Opportunity favors the well prepares, and strategic opportunities only present themselves to nations with strategy

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • Nations that guide the world, guide it first with culture

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • The tactical art of war, of winning without fighting, is the art of winning military struggles through tactics rather than battles

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • Attaining victory through strategy is the most civilized, most beneficial form of victory, reduces the cost of military struggle, and cost down on the price of obtaining victory and winning peace

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting

Art of War   Sun Tzu

  • The rise and fall off every great nation can be traced back to the rise and all of that great nation’s strategy

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • What makes great nations great is a great strategy, and their strength of strong nations comes from the strength of their strategy

The China Dream: Great Power thinking and Strategic Posture in the Post American Era. Liu Mingfu

  • In an important way, Xi has repoliticized post Mao policy-making by subordinating technocratic expertise to ideological correctness

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • There is only one ideology in the Party’s canon: “Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought”

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • He melds traditional Chinese governance concepts to Marxism-Leninism to make it “Chinese.”

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • There are three main sources of inspiration for his Thought…The most important source is Leninism…The second major source of inspiration for Xi Thought are elements of Mao’s worldview and approach to power that Xi thinks reinforce Leninism…The Third source of inspiration for Xi is the Legalist and Confucian schools of thought in ancient Chinese governance philosophy

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • The Party, the state, the military, the civilians, and the education sector: east, west, south, north and center—the Pary leads everything

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • Xi Thought requires the Chinese Communist Part (CCP) to proactively take up the role as the vanguard of China. It means that it should not only monopolize but also take the lead in transforming society.

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • Currently, the following false ideological trends, positions, and activities all deserve note:
  1. Promoting Western Constitutional Democracy: An attempt to undermine the current leadership and the socialism with Chinese characteristics system of governance.
  2. Promoting “universal values” in an attempt to weaken the theoretical foundations of the Party’s leadership.
  3. Promoting civil society in an attempt to dismantle the ruling party’s social foundation.
  4. Promoting Neoliberalism, attempting to change China’s Basic Economic System.
  5. Promoting the West’s idea of journalism, challenging China’s principle that the media and publishing system should be subject to Party discipline.
  6. Promoting historical nihilism, trying to undermine the history of the CCP and of New China.
  7. Questioning Reform and Opening and the socialist nature of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

 

Document 9 A China File Translation

 

  • In summary, the approach of Xi Thought to put the party in control of everything requires organizational changes as well as restoring ideology as an instrument to guide the making of cadres and the wider population. In practice, it means entrenching Xi’s personal control over the policy process, building the Party into a vast and fearsome Leninist machine guided by his Thought, and deinstitutionalizing collective leadership and the succession process

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

 

  • Xi’s Three Economic goals:

          Secure economic strength

          Increase substantially economic order and security

          Insulate the domestic economy from external risks

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • Under Xi Thought the purpose to study history is to “understand why the Chinese Communist Party can, why Marxism works, and why socialism is good, and why the Party is the only logical option for China, one that was chosen by history and the people

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • Five drivers in this strategy are from the most important to the least important:
    1. Take regime security, which includes Xi’s personal security (personal and political) and image as the overriding factor to guide Chinese foreign policy
    2. Double down on party-centric nationalism by galvanizing the Chinese people’s desire for national rejuvenation and portraying China’s resurgence as righting a historic wrong
    3. Adopt a Sino-centric mindset that places China’s interests and values, as defined by the Party, above those of other countries and the internationals system
    4. Establish and consolidate Chinese leadership in international organizations and throughout the world
    5. Vindicate the superiority of the Sino-centric socialism or Xi Thought
  • The tens of millions of overseas Chinese across the world are all members of the Chinese family. In the best of Chinese traditions, generations of overseas Chinese never forget their home country, their origins, or the blood of the Chinese nation flowing in their veins

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • At the same time, we also need a strong material power that bolster such will power and faith. This requires constant reforms and innovations to ensure that Chinese Socialism is more efficient than capitalism releasing and developing the productive forces, stimulating and strengthening the vigor of society…

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • Top-level design is needed to advance reform

          The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • It takes one year to grow grain, ten years to grow a tree and a whole lifetime to nurture competent people

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • We should coordinate the development of our economy and defense capabilities, and combine efforts to make the country prosperous and the military strong

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • Trade War: If one should note that about a dozen years ago, “trade war” was simply a descriptive phrase, today it has really become a tool in the hands of many countries for waging non-military war

Unrestricted Warfare Lang and Xiangsui

  • The weapons revolution is a prelude to a revolution in military affairs

Unrestricted Warfare Lang and Xiangsui

  • Even the United States…has also realized that the strongest nation is often the one with the most enemies and the one threatened the most

Unrestricted Warfare Lang and Xiangsui

 

  • It a possible future war, the rules of victory will make extremely harsh demands on the victor

Unrestricted Warfare Lang and Xiangsui

  • These things make it clear that warfare is no longer an activity confined only to the military sphere, and that the course of any war could e changed, or its outcome decided, by political factors, economic factors, diplomatic factors, technological factors or other non-military factors

Unrestricted Warfare Lang and Xiangsui

 

Tactics

  • If the enemy is strong, be deferential to make him arrogant.

The Strategies of Huang Shih-kung Seven Military Classics of Ancient China p. 293

  • Without secret plans you have no means to be successful.

The Strategies of Huang Shih-kung Seven Military Classics of Ancient China p. 301

  • Subjugating the enemy’s army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence

The Art of War Sun Tzu

  • The Chinese regime is doing more than just talking; however, it is implementing the largest military buildup since the Second World War; it is trying to sanction-proof itself; it is stockpiling grain; it is surveying America for nuclear weapons strikes; and most ominously it is mobilizing China’s civilians for battle

China is Going to War Gordon G. Chang

  • Although the mainland and Taiwan are yet to reunited, they belong to one and same China, which is an indivisible whole

The Governance of China Xi Jinping

 

  • Sooner or later, we will have to resolve then political disputes that have long existed in cross-Strait relations rather than leave them to later generations

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

  • Forces and activities for “Taiwan Independence” remain a real threat to the peace of the Taiwan Straits

The Political thought of Xi Jinping Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung

 

According to Mao

 

  • The enemy will not perish of himself. Neither the Chinese reactionaries nor the aggressive forces of U.S. imperialism in China will step down from the stage of history of their own accord

Carry the Revolution Through to the End (December 30, 1948) Selected Works, Vol IV p.301

  • It is still better if the enemy attacks us wildly and paints us as utterly black and without a single virtue; it demonstrates that we have not only drawn a clear line of demarcation between the enemy and ourselves but achieved a great deal in our work

To be attacked by the Enemy is not a bad thing but a Good Thing (May 26, 1939), 1st pocket ed., p.2

 

  • We should support whatever the enemy opposes and oppose whatever the enemy supports

Interview with Three Correspondents from the Central News Agency, the Sao Pao and Hsin Min Pao (September 16, 1939), Selected Works, Vol II, p.272

  • The Socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system; this is an objective law independent of man’s will. However much the reactionaries try to hold back the wheel of history, sooner or later revolution will take place and will inevitably triumph

Speech at the Meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. in Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution (November 6, 1957)

 

  • By over-all planning we mean planning which takes into consideration the interests of 600 million people of our country. Indrawing up plan, handling affairs or thinking over problems, we must proceed form the fact that China has a population of 600 million people, and we must never forget this fact

On the correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People (February 27, 1957), 1st pocket ed. P.47

 

  • Our present task is to strengthen the people’s state apparatus—mainly the people’s army, the people’s, police and the people’s courts—in order to consolidate national defense and protect the people’s interest

On the People’s Democratic Dictatorship (June 30, 1949), Selected Works, Vol IV, p.418

 

  • It can therefor be said that politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed

On Protracted War (May 1938) Selected Works, Vol II, pp152-153

 

  • History shows that wars are divided into two kinds, just and unjust. All wars that are progressive are just, and all wars that imped progress are unjust.  We communists oppose all unjust wars that impede progress, but we do not oppose progressive, just wars

On Protracted War (May 1938) Selected Works, Vol II, pp.150

 

  • Every communist must grasp this truth, “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun

Problems of War and Strategy (November 6 1938) Selected Works Vol II p.224

 

 

  • We stand firmly for peace and against war. But if the imperialist insists on unleashing another war, we should not be afraid of it. 

On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People (February 27 1957) 1st pocket ed., p. 67

 

  • Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive. The contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale.  Military and economic power is necessarily wielded by the people

On Protracted War (May 1958) Selected Works, Vol II pp.143-144

 

  • We must learn to look at problems from all sides, seeing the reverse as well as the obverse side of things. In given conditions, a bad thing can lead to good results and a good thing to bad results

On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the people (February 27, 1957) 1st pocket ed., pp.66-67

 

  • The unification of our country, the unity of the people and the unity of our various nationalities—these are the basic guaranties of the sure triumph of our cause

On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People (February 27, 1957) 1str pocket ed., pp1-2

 

Writer Backgrounds

  1. Sun Tsu: Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who lived during the Eastern Zhou period (771–256 BC). Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thought. Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure. 
  2. Liu Mingfu: retired Chinese PLA officer and noted Chinese author, public speaker, and hawkish military commentator. As the author of well-known nationalist book China Dream: The Great Power Thinking and Strategic Positioning of China in the Post-American Era, Liu argues that China should displace the United States as world leader.  Liu advocates that China’s pursuing a “military rise” will allow it to rival and then surpass America’s role as a source of global order, in an Olympic-style competition between civilizations. Liu has taken inspiration from Union tactics in the American Civil War in a potential war of unification with Taiwan
  3. Steve Tsang:  Hong Kong-born political scientist and historian whose expertise includes politics and governance in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the foreign and security policies of China and Taiwan, and peace and security in East Asia. He is the current director of the SOAS China Institute at the SOAS University of London.  Tsang received a B.A. at the University of Hong Kong in 1981 and D.Phil. at St Antony’s College, Oxford in 1986.
  4. Olivia Cheung: Dr Olivia Cheung is Research Fellow of the China Institute at SOAS University of London. She obtained her DPhil from the University of Oxford where she was a Swire Scholar and a Rhodes Scholar. She previously taught at the University of Warwick, where she was Course Director for the MA in International Politics and East Asia. She is the co-author of The Political Thought of Xi Jinping (2024).
  5. Lang and Xiangsui: two colonels in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) authors of unrestricted warfare.  Its primary concern is how a nation such as China can defeat a technologically superior opponent (such as the United States) through a variety of means.[3] Rather than focusing on direct military confrontation, this book instead examines a variety of other means such as political warfare. Such means include using legal tools and economic means as leverage over one’s opponent and circumvent the need for direct military action.  Lang  is a retired major general in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), military theorist, and author.[1] He is the deputy director of the creative department of the PLAAF, the deputy secretary-general of the Council for National Security Policy Studies, and a member of the Chinese Writers Association.[2] In 2007, he presented a lecture series on China Central Television (CCTV) about the Thirty-Six Stratagems.    Xianngsui is  a professor at Beihang University in Beijing, China[1] and a retired senior Colonel in the People’s Liberation Army. 
  6. Gordon G. Chang: Chang was born in New Jersey to a Chinese father and an American mother of Scottish ancestry.[3] His father is from Rugao, Jiangsu, China. He is  an American journalist, lawyer, political commentator, and writer.[1] He is the author of The Coming Collapse of China in which he attempted to predict the collapse of China
  7. Huang Shih-kung:  He is a semi-mythological figure and Taoist hermit who lived between the Qin dynasty and Han dynasty.[2] He gave Zhang Liang a treatise on military strategy called Huang Shigong San Lue (The Three Strategies of Huang Shigong) and the Lingqijing divination manual that allowed Zhang Liang to transform into an adept statesman and powerful war theorist.
  8. Mao Zedong: Mao Zedong was a Marxist theorist, revolutionary, and, from 1949 to 1959, the first chairman of the People’s Republic of China.  His theories, which he advocated as a Chinese adaptation of Marxism–Leninism, are known as Maoism.