China's strategic culture myths
Great Wall myth: China is defensive & peace loving
anti-thesis of Western tradition
used as a propaganda mechanism
drew from Confucius and Sunzi bingfa
Incorrect because
There were several conquests and annexations in the
Sinic Zone
several expansions against non-Chinese
Commerce as an arm of state power led to adventures in Korea, Vietnam, Turkestan (controlling trade routes)
Great Wall itself was as much for defining and holding conquered territory as it was for defending borders
inability to control or expand territory hinted at decline of power
Sunzi myth: acme of skill is to win without fighting
often taken as a proof of Chinese strategic culture of peace
Incorrect because
made during Warring States period when War was extremely costly
instrumental strategy on Clausewitzian lines that war is politics by other means
Mao, considered as as archetypical Sunzi follower, took support of force
Good Iron myth: preeminence of civil over the martial
Used to convey why China fell to colonialists
Good men are not used for soldiers, good iron is not used for nails
Incorrect because:
it conveys that China recognised bureaucracy early, not that it disdained force
Balance of wudao and wendao exemplified in the PLA and Chinese CCP
Zheng He myth: no history of overseas colonialism or gunboat diplomacy
Incorrect because
Ming dynasty
did many naval conquests
Zheng He's flotilla served the function of advertising Ming glories rather than with the aim of colonising because China was already a big power by then.
Myth of Shi: core concept of strategic advantage
Use your strategic advantage against your likely opponent
Used to imply that China has a totally different view of war, compared to the West
hence the west doesn't understand why China does certain things
Incorrect because
Hardly different from Western thought
In Sunzi, it just means five factors of dao, weather, terrain, command and doctrine
Author instead proposes that these are the key features of China's strategic culture.
Territory matters
Size Matters
Strategy Matters
Near Seas Matter
Culture Matters -- need to pin adversary as a polar opposite.
Internal issues subsumed Ming rulers and they abandoned naval conquest as the preferred means for exerting influence
Force used against Chen Zuyi in Palembang (first voyage), King of Ceylon (third voyage)