Publication Date
4-2022
School
Helms School of Government
Major
International Relations
Keywords
Thirty-Six Stratagems, Diaoyu, Senkaku, China, Japan, People's Republic of China, People's Liberation Army
Disciplines
Asian History | Asian Studies | Chinese Studies | Comparative Literature | History of the Pacific Islands | International Law | International Relations | Japanese Studies | Political History
Recommended Citation
Schuliger, Brent, "The Influence of the Thirty-Six Stratagems on Chinese Strategy in the Diaoyu Islands" (2022). Senior Honors Theses. 1225.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1225
Abstract
The Diaoyu Islands are a small, uninhabited archipelago in the East China Sea which has begun increasing in strategic significance due to its advantageous location near Taiwan and along the First Island Chain. The islands are currently under Japanese administration, but the People’s Republic of China considers them historically Chinese and contests Japan’s claim to the islands. A careful examination of China’s actions in challenging Japan’s rule over the Diaoyus reveals the influence of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, a tome of ancient Chinese military wisdom which provides a framework onto which China’s current strategy corresponds. This thesis examines the historical and cultural influence of the Thirty-Six Stratagems and maps the wisdom onto China’s actions in the Diaoyus. Thus, projection of future strategy and deterring actions can be developed to discourage Chinese belligerence in the East China Sea.
Included in
Asian History Commons, Asian Studies Commons, Chinese Studies Commons, Comparative Literature Commons, History of the Pacific Islands Commons, International Law Commons, International Relations Commons, Japanese Studies Commons, Political History Commons
