To win a battle by actually fighting it is not the most desirable way.
To conquer the enemy without resorting to war, conquering the enemy by strategy, is the highest, most desirable form of generalship.
The next best form of generalship is to conquer the enemy by alliance.
The next is to conquer the enemy by battle on open ground.
The worst form of generalship is to conquer the enemy by besieging walled cities.
Those most skilled in warfare are those who conquer the enemy without fighting battles, who capture cities without laying siege to them, and who annex states without prolonged warfare.
They can preserve their forces whole and intact while struggling for the mastery of their opponent. They can win a complete victory without as much as wearying their men. All this is due to the use of strategy.
The Japanese during World War II used the worst form of strategy by trying to conquer countries with huge resources of industry, men and materials with warfare thus ensuring their defeat. The marketplace over the past 50 years has now become their battlefield where they compete successfully with old adversaries.
Condensed from: Chu, Chin-ning: The Asian Mind Game: unlocking the hidden agenda of the Asian business culture; a westerner's survival manual, AMC Publishing 1988
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