At the heart of Chinese strategy is shi, which is a difficult concept to explain to a Western audience. It cannot be directly translated into English, but Chinese linguists describe it as “the alignment of forces” or “propensity of things to happen,” which only a skilled strategist can exploit to ensure victory over a superior force. Similarly, only a sophisticated adversary can recognize how he is vulnerable to the exploitation of shi.17 It is exactly the lack of recognition of the potential exploitation of shi that is dooming American strategy toward China.
