Book Review: The Hundred Year Marathon; China's Secret Strategy to Replace America As the Global Superpower
#1 National Bestseller
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre Strategy, Non-Fiction
Author Michael Pillsbury
Pages 348
Year of Publish 2015
About the Author
Michael
Pillsbury is a well-versed Mandarin speaker and has worked in senior national
security positions in the U.S. government. In his work on “The Hundred-Year
Marathon”, he pulls out his contact with the "hawks" in China's
military and intelligence to present their archives, speeches, and books.
Michael wants to show how the teachings of ancient Chinese philosophy guide their present actions. He shares concealed perspective on how the Chinese really portray America. Pillsbury also discusses how the U.S. government subconsciously helped – sometimes unwitting and sometimes deliberately – to make the "China Dream" come true. The Hundred-Year Marathon is a wake-up call as we face the greatest national security challenge of the twenty-first century.
Summary of The Hundred-Year Marathon
Since the cold war, the United States has played a vital role in helping the Chinese to build a booming economy, modernize its scientific and military capabilities. But what if the world is unaware about the "China Dream" is to replace America? Just like America replaced the British, without firing a shot.
Based on findings from Chinese defectors and the latest de-classified and undisclosed national security documents, The Hundred-Year Marathon discusses China's secret strategy to remove the dominance of the United States and become the sole emperor of the world. It must be done by 2049, the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.
- “China’s Hawks are far more numerous and influential than were previously thought, and even mainstream politicians are not as moderate as they appear.”
- “The US fundamentally does not grasp Chinese strategic thinking. China’s strategy is extremely patient, very far-sighted, and relies on exploiting externalities and weaknesses, and most of all rely upon deception.”
- “The Sino-Soviet Split was never fully understood, and warnings from the Soviets were not fully heeded”
- “The initial 1971 opening to China by Nixon was largely a Chinese initiative, not an American one as commonly believed”
The tone of the author is not like the "United States knows everything", but rather, some signs are there about this marathon. Most of the officials have chosen to ignore them through sheer idealism or wishful mentality. Michael has also depicted how the Chinese are extremely patient and very well disciplined. The teachings of ART OF WAR are deeply rooted in their day-to-day activities. They rigorously follow THE THIRTY-SIX STRATAGEMS from the Warring States period and apply them to the present day.
Their key
concepts in the formulation of strategies are: - Shi, essentially the order of things, the momentum in the world,
- Wuwei,
the exploitation of energy and getting others to do one’s work for you ( like the
US depleting the USSR in the Cold War),
- Shashoubian, The Assassin’s Mace, is essentially asymmetric warfare or weapons that strike at
an Achilles Heel.
Book Review of The Hundred-Year Marathon
The author argues that the China-centric world order is not coming immediately, at least not until 2049. If the GDP of China is triple that of the US, then China wins by default, however, he believes that the future need not be so bleak.
As someone who has lived in China for six years, and has conversed and interacted with Chinese throughout the country, it can clearly be felt that such narratives and demonizations of the United States are very widespread and believed. I was surprised to find their children's board games talking about encircling the opponent and using the surroundings to get an advantage. I don't know whether The Hundred Year Marathon is just a theory or has significance in China's world dominance dream. But the things discussed here certainly deserve attention.
Soild review!
ReplyDeleteThanks buddy
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