At dawn Sun Pin lured P’ang Chüan and half his army onto a narrow path along which Sun Pin had removed bark from a large tree. Sun Pin positioned his army in ambush along the trail with the instruction to fire when they saw a torch. General P’ang Chüan was summoned to the bare tree by his advanced guard. He lit a torch to examine the tree and discovered writing which stated “P’ang Chüan will die beneath this tree.” Sun Pin wrote the ending of his enemy by making his enemy’s path appear obvious and easy, but it took P’ang Chüan’s action to make that ending under the tree of destiny manifest. The challenge is that the path is not always the most obvious, direct, easy, or constant.
In the current global political climate marked by intricacy and interdependence, it is imperative to adopt a more sophisticated methodology when forging alliances. This proposed new strategy is characterized by adaptable relationships, collaborations centered around specific issues, and a shared set of values. This approach presents a practical and effective means for countries to navigate the complexities arising from China’s growing influence without having to resort to rigid alliances or direct confrontations. It allows for a more nuanced and flexible approach that can adapt to the evolving geopolitical landscape.
Emerging global powers that aim to supplant the United States as a global power are rivals, rather than potential allies who are open to sharing power across multiple nations. These rivals are attempting to rewrite narratives and histories to sow internal conflict abroad and justify the annexation of sovereign lands. Confronting these rivals directly would only amplify their internal and external narratives of the United States as an aggressor or enemy. Instead, the authors propose an indirect path of developing strong alliances and avoiding the narrow path of requiring allies to perfectly align with U.S.
foreign and domestic policy. The narrow path of homogenous alignment, which does not tolerate entanglements, leads to global polarization and allows rivals to form counteralliances among the alienated. Rather than trying to force countries to align perfectly with its policies, the authors argue that the United States should focus on building strong, adaptable relationships with other countries to avoid global polarization and counteralliances. Published in the July-August 2023 edition of Military Review by Boling and Sanders, this article discusses an enduring and equitable partnership between India and the United States that could present opportunities for both nations to work together to contain China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
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