Sun Tzu Doctrine for Asia

[kalu_miah]

Sun Tzu Doctrine for Asia

First I would like to refer to a similar doctrine called Monroe Doctrine:

Monroe Doctrine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Monroe Doctrine is a policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring U.S. intervention.[1] The Doctrine noted that the United States would neither interfere with existing European colonies nor meddle in the internal concerns of European countries. The Doctrine was issued at a time when nearly all Latin American colonies of Spain and Portugal had achieved independence from the Spanish Empire (except Cuba and Puerto Rico) and the Portuguese Empire. The United States, working in agreement with Britain, wanted to guarantee no European power would move in.[2]
President James Monroe first stated the doctrine during his seventh annual State of the Union Address to Congress. It became a defining moment in the foreign policy of the United States and one of its longest-standing tenets, and would be invoked by many U.S. statesmen and several U.S. presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Ronald Reagan and others.

The intent and impact of the Monroe Doctrine persisted with only minor variations for almost two centuries. Its primary objective was to free the newly independent colonies of Latin America from European intervention and control that would make the New World a battleground for the Old. The doctrine put forward that the New World and the Old World were to remain distinctly separate spheres of influence, for they were composed of entirely separate and independent nations.[3]

I would like to suggest and discuss a Chinese led doctrine for Asia. Now what is Asia:

Asia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Asia (i/ˈeɪʒə/ or /ˈeɪʃə/) is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area (or 30% of its land area) and with approximately 3.9 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled.[3]
Asia is generally defined as comprising the eastern four-fifths of Eurasia. It is located to the east of the Suez Canal and theUral Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains (or the Kuma-Manych Depression) and the Caspian and Black Seas.[4][5] It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean and on the north by the Arctic Ocean.
Given its size and diversity, Asia – a toponym dating back to classical antiquity – "is more a cultural concept" incorporating diverse regions and peoples than a homogeneous physical entity.[6] Asia differs very widely among and within its regions with regard to ethnic groups, cultures, environments, economics, historical ties and government systems.

Now I would like to refer to a previous thread where we discussed some theoretical concepts and new world order based on these theoritical concepts:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/164048-kalu_miahs-new-world-order-road-map-future.html

For readers who are not familiar with these concepts, can use the above thread as a reference. There are three main ideas discussed there:

1. Historical Continuity is good for competitive edge for any human group, community, nation or group of nations
2. The larger a system is, the better the competitive edge for any human group, community, nation or group of nations
3. The world’s countries can be divided up into some natural regions and blocs

Here are the main concepts for the Sun Tzu doctrine for Asia:

- peace and stability are the foundation on which a prosperous and sustainable future can be built for humanity
- to achieve peace and stability we need order and balance of power on the international scene
- Asia should be led by Asians and must be freed from as much outside non-Asian interference as possible
- this means that Asian countries should work together to improve regional peace and stability so as to reduce the need for foreign military bases and eventually ask them to leave this region
- just like we would not like to see a Chinese, Indian or Russian military base in Africa, Europe, ANZ or the American continents, similarly we would not like to see any foreign non-Asian military base in Asia
- just like EU is integrating under European Union, there may not be a proposed Asian Union as a distinct entity, but Asian nations must work together to integrate the regions, so borders are as irrelevant as possible and people, goods and services can move freely, although migration must be strictly under control

Asia Cooperation Dialogue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- since China has emerged as the most powerful country in Asia and is set to become more powerful in the future (may even become the most powerful country in the world), this means certain things for Asia
- China will have to take the lead in re-organizing Asia to achieve the above goals
- re-organizing of Asia in my opinion will mean that the region will have to be divided up into 4 distinct Satraps:

ASEAN+: ASEAN+Japan+Korea+Maldives+Sri Lanka+Bangladesh+PNG+East Timor
http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/180755-geopolitics-asean-region.html
Eurasia+: Eurasian Union (former Soviet states)+Iran+Pakistan+Afghanistan+Mongolia
http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/180767-geopolitics-eurasia-region.html
India+Nepal+Bhutan
GCC+: GCC+Yemen+Jordan+Iraq+Syria+Lebanon
http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/180771-geopolitics-gcc-region.html

- In each of these regions China will have to take the lead and work with regional heavyweight subordinate powers to integrate the region and maintain peace and stability. China will have the following partners to work with in their respective regions:
ASEAN+: Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam
Eurasia+: Russia, Iran and Pakistan
India+Nepal+Bhutan: India
GCC+: Saudi Arabia and Turkey

- Since Russia has so far not moved towards joining NATO or EU, we will assume that for the foreseeable future Russia and its neighboring former Soviet states will remain with Asia, as part of the proposed Eurasian Union by Putin.

- Speaking of Turkey, all of Asia should work with Turkey to take them out of NATO alliance and European integration plan. But for that Turkey will have to see a great role for them in Asia come to reality. Similarly, Russia and former Soviet states should be encouraged to stay with Asia. Loss of any one of these two vital states will be damaging to Asian interest as per Sun Tzu doctrine. But then all people are free to chose their destiny, it is only that according to Sun Tzu doctrine, they will face the consequences laid out in that doctrine.

- If we look at the current situation, there are the following main “foreign” non-Asian military bases in Asia:
Japan, South Korea, GCC

In order for these bases to be removed, greater integration of these Satraps will be needed with increased participation and cooperation between:
Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and China in ASEAN+
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China in GCC+

- Also there are incursion of NATO and non-NATO alliance in Asia, these are:
Turkey, Japan and South Korea

Military budgets from these and other states currently are being spent with non-Asian states. This is not going to change soon, but more and more we would like to see Asian states spend their defence dollar with other fellow Asian states. So India going to Korea, Turkey going to Korea and Indonesia going to Korea for their defense needs are all positive moves according to Sun Tzu doctrine, as the defense spending stays within Asia. I would like to see GCC countries also make similar moves, that is spend their defense budgets more within Asia.

- For states who will accept this Sun Tzu doctrine, China as well as other Asian states following this doctrine will work with them to reward them for their stance. For states who will defy this doctrine, the opposite will happen.

- While Latin America is NATO backyard, Asia will try to balance NATO influence in that region with increasing influence and working with regional heavyweights such as Brazil and Mexico as well as NATO alliance countries for regional peace and stability.

- African Union will be another area where Asia and NATO countries will work together for integration of this space to maintain balance of power, stability and peace.

To ensure propagation of the Sun Tzu doctrine, China and other Asian states will study this and similar issues in their strategic research centers, academia and also take the following recommended steps:

- start a green card and citizenship system in China only for foreign graduates who have studied in Chinese universities and other exceptionally qualified individuals who can benefit China
- allow qualified foreign nationals to work in Chinese companies and academia
- provide scholarships to Asian countries as well as African and Latin American countries
- work with other developed Asian states to follow the above strategy, such as Japan, Korea, Russia and Turkey

These ideas and grand concepts came to my mind, so I thought I would share them with people in this forum. While I understand that the world and Asia look very different from the vision stated above. My prediction is that it has the potential to move in above direction.

Why the name Sun Tzu, it is because he had large legacy in Asian history as well as the history of this region:

Sun Tzu's Art of War has influenced many notable figures. Traditional histories recount that the first emperor of a unified China, Qin Shi Huang, considered the book invaluable in ending the Age of Warring States. The Art of War was introduced in Japan, c. AD 760, and the book quickly became popular among Japanese generals. The work also significantly influenced the unification of Japan. Mastery of its teachings was honored among the samurai, and its teachings were both exhorted and exemplified by influential daimyo andshogun, such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.[16]

Admiral of the Fleet Tōgō Heihachirō, who led Japan's forces to victory against Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, was an avid reader of The Art of War.[17]

Communist Chinese leader Mao Zedong partially credited his victory over Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang in 1949 to The Art of War. The work strongly influenced Mao's writings about guerrilla warfare, which further influenced communist insurgencies around the world.[16]

General Vo Nguyen Giap, the military mastermind behind victories over French and American forces in Vietnam, was an avid student and practitioner of Sun Tzu's ideas. America's defeat here, more than any other event, brought Sun Tzu to the attention of American military leaders. Ho Chi Minh translated the work for his Vietnamese officers to study.[18][19]

The Department of the Army in the United States, through its Command and General Staff College, has directed all units to maintain libraries within their respective headquarters for the continuing education of personnel in the art of war. The Art of War is mentioned as an example of works to be maintained at each individual unit, and staff duty officers are obliged to prepare short papers for presentation to other officers on their readings.[20]

Sun Tzu's The Art of War is listed on the Marine Corps Professional Reading Program (formerly known as the Commandant's Reading List).[21] During the Persian Gulf War in the 1990s, both General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. and General Colin Powell practiced Sun Tzu's principles of deception, speed, and attacking the enemy's weakness.[16]

Mark McNeilly writes in Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare that a modern interpretation of Sun and his importance throughout Chinese history is critical in understanding China's push to becoming a superpower in the 21st century. Modern Chinese scholars explicitly rely on historical strategic lessons and The Art of War in developing their theories, seeing a direct relationship between their modern struggles and those of China in Sun Tzu's time. There is a great perceived value in Sun Tzu's teachings and other traditional Chinese writers, which are used regularly in developing the strategies of the Chinese state and its leaders.[22]

It is also interesting to note that Mongols have touched almost all of Asian landmass including the areas that are discussed here which fall within Europe. Some regions they may not have conquered but at least attacked or invaded unsuccessfully. Other areas like India (Turkic Sultanate of Delhi) that were able to repulse Mongols, eventually came under Turko-Mongol Mughals. But Mongols and their descendants in successor empires failed to keep these regions together because they failed to follow Sun Tzu’s ideas:

Parallels Between Fall of the Roman Empire and the Mongolian Empire « Art Of War On WallStreet Book Status & Discussion

Parallels Between Fall of the Roman Empire and the Mongolian Empire
Even though the Roman Empire and the Mongolian Empire were ascendant in different historical periods, there are similarities between the causes of their demise. Students of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War will easily perceive that the failure of these empires to follow the teachings of The Art of War is responsible for their fall.

Sun Tzu said that you must never over-stretch the military, you must win over the local people, you have to set up ethical governing bodies, and you have to treat POW’s well. Both of these empires failed to follow the principles.

In addition, the leadership at the very top of both empires was not unified. They both suffered from internal power struggles over the ultimate leadership of the empire.

Most Westerners know little about the rise and fall of the Mongolian Empire, so allow me to share a little history: During the Sung Dynasty in China, there was continual warfare between the “barbarians,” (the Kim), from the Northeast and the Chinese from the central part of China.
Meanwhile, there was ongoing warfare between a group from the northwest, the Ha, and the Chinese from the central part of China. Many of the beleagured people from the central parts of the country moved to a border area close to Mongolia to get away from the conflicts. The highly educated and influential people were part of this group.

As a result, the Mongolian leader Ghengis Khan grew up with the Chinese, and grew to love and appreciate Chinese culture. He also became familiar with the corruption and abusive acts of the Chinese leaders. In other words, he came to learn the strengths and weaknesses of his Chinese neighbors.
Later on, when Ghengis Khan came into power over the Mongol people, he was able to spearhead infiltration into Chinese society and military because of his familiarity with it. It was a classic example of “know the enemy.” He was perfectly equipped to set up double agents to learn all that he had to know about the Chinese government and military. This enabled him to easily create an alliance with the Chinese and later used them to support his own campaigns against the warlike Kim people from the Northeast.

Once he had subdued the Kim people, Ghengis Khan turned his attention toward the Ha in the West, and again used his Chinese alliances to defeat the Ha.

When Ghengis Khan was finished with the Ha, he turned to the Chinese themselves and eventually took them over as well. He effectively destroyed the Sun Dynasty. The Chinese say that Ghengis Khan ” ’swallowed’ the Kim and destroyed the Sung Dynasty”. Ghenghis Khan then became the leader of the “Yuen [Mongolian] Empire.”

Ghengis Khan then set out to convert his Mongolian people to the Chinese culture. The net result was that the Mongolian culture took second place to the Chinese culture, thereby eventually creating ultimate victory for the Chinese.

Ghengis Khan became so ambitious that he extended out militarily to the Middle East, Europe, and Russia. Meanwhile, his government in China itself became corrupt and brutalized the dissidents within the country. This turned the people against his leadership.

By the time Ghengis Khan was killed in battle and his son took over, the people revolted against the Mongolian Empire and it was overturned. In China, “August 15″ is a famous revolution date. Festivals are still celebrated on this date. Even today, people serve “August Moon cakes” on August 15 to commemorate the secret communication via messages on slips of paper that were hidden in cakes that were served during the traditonal August Moon festival. The messages enabled the revolutionaries to coordinate their attack plans.

All the elements related to the rise of the Mongolian Empire reflect principles advocated by Sun Tzu, such as knowing the enemy, use of espionage, creation of fearful image, and initially, fair governance of the people.

By the same token, all the elements related to the fall of the Mongolian Empire reflect the points that Sun Tzu said to avoid: over-stretching the military, eventual brutality to the people, corruption and divisiveness in leadership, and finally such over-extension of terrirtoy that there no longer was a “Dao” of identity and purpose shared by both the people and the leaders.
What about the United States? During World War II and afterward, the U.S. was perceived as an agent of positive help to others in the world. It became a Superpower. Yet some of the governments that were assisted overseas became tainted by scandal and corruption, for example, the Phillipines, Taiwan, and China. In our news today we find reports of corruption in the governments of those countries that we wish to help the most.

And even within our country we see divisiveness in the central government and evidence of corruption in the financial sector.

It would be wise to pay close attention to history, lest it be repeated.

A clear and easy-to-read translation of The Art of War, is included, along with the original Chinese text in The Art of War Applied to Wall Street. The book also contains assessements of some famous battles in modern history in terms of Sun Tuz’s principles.

Tags: Art of War, Art of War Applied to Wall Street, Art of War; know yourself / know your enemy; surrender without fighting; Sun Tzu, Chinese culture, military image, Period of Warring States in China, weakness and strength, Y.K. Wong

 

[Android]

Suppose if both ind and pak accepts this Sun Tzu doctrine what happens to kashmir dispute

 

[kalu_miah]

Suppose if both ind and pak accepts this Sun Tzu doctrine what happens to kashmir dispute

Conflict resolution and avoidance of war and violence will be one of the biggest benefits and reasons for doctrines such as this.

If Pakistan and India both accept to follow this doctrine then it will be decided by:

- China: as the leader of Asia
- Russian led Eurasia+ Satrap which will include former Soviet states+Iran+Pakistan+Afghanistan+Mongolia
- India+Nepal+Bhutan, lets call this India+ Satrap

The collective decision taken by the combined team of these nations will be binding on individual countries. Violating a decision will risk exclusion of a nation from the group that follows this doctrine.

 

[Kaniska]

You have really out a lot of effort for the article...Its nice to read ...

 

[miss]

Will Mecca and Medina be directly controlled by communists? I am almost tempted to agree to this doctrine to see that happen ...

 

[SinoChallenger]

india can never join. All the South Asian countries must work with China to bring down the elephant. After the elephant is dissected into many pieces, then Asia can be at peace.

 

[navtrek]

india can never join. All the South Asian countries must work with China to bring down the elephant. After the elephant is dissected into many pieces, then Asia can be at peace.

lol bye bye great leader

 

[Battle of Bach Dang River]

Present, who is the leader of Asia?

 

[kalu_miah]

india can never join. All the South Asian countries must work with China to bring down the elephant. After the elephant is dissected into many pieces, then Asia can be at peace.

If more and more countries start to follow this Sun Tzu Doctrine then India will be forced to join eventually, because it will risk becoming isolated in the neighborhood.

India I believe will not be very difficult to control. If China has good relations with 200 or so Indian billionaires, then the rest of India will follow.

My impression is that the dreams of competing with China and becoming superpower on its own is held by only a small percentage of population, the vast majority are more interested in their own economic benefit than some pie in the sky delusion of grandeur.

Indian mass media is also responsible for propagating these ideas among India's population. But if this Sun Tzu Doctrine turns out to be good for all Asians, including Indians, then there is enough intelligent people in that society that will start supporting it and turn the tide of public opinion in its favor.

 

[Obambam]

Present, who is the leader of Asia?

Vietnam is of course. It is mightiest of all.

 

[kalu_miah]

Will Mecca and Medina be directly controlled by communists? I am almost tempted to agree to this doctrine to see that happen ...

No not directly, but indirectly. Direct control for the GCC+ satrapi will be on Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

 

[Android]

I dont think this doctrine will be accepted by any of countries which have disputes with china which include almost all of its neighbours

 

[SinoChallenger]

If more and more countries start to follow this Sun Tzu Doctrine then India will be forced to join eventually, because it will risk becoming isolated in the neighborhood.

India I believe will not be very difficult to control. If China has good relations with 200 or so Indian billionaires, then the rest of India will follow.

My impression is that the dreams of competing with China and becoming superpower on its own is held by only a small percentage of population, the vast majority are more interested in their own economic benefit than some pie in the sky delusion of grandeur.

Indian mass media is also responsible for propagating these ideas among India's population. But if this Sun Tzu Doctrine turns out to be good for all Asians, including Indians, then there is enough intelligent people in that society that will start supporting it and turn the tide of public opinion in its favor.

Have you heard of Arthashastra? india is hardwired to attack its neighbors and befriend the far.

 

[kalu_miah]

I dont think this doctrine will be accepted by any of countries which have disputes with china which include almost all of its neighbours

Not right this moment, that is correct. But China is a rapidly changing nation, so is its leadership, so the foreign policy approach of that leadership follows will also change in the future. I am just suggesting a possible course for this kind of future change.

And as for disputes, it is always cheaper to solve disputes with compromise, war is always the most expensive option. Human lives used to be cheap, not any more, brainwashing people with patriotism and turning them into killers will work less and less in the future.

We do not need an Asian Union as yet, but as long as long there is a doctrine like this, it might be a good enough replacement to keep peace in the neighborhood and harvest peace dividend.

 

[karan21]

What crap is this lol. A doctrine for entire Asia , what a joke.