Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher known for his immortal work “The Art of War," stressed the importance of patience and timing in conflict while emphasizing the need to seize opportunities when the enemy presents them.
Such an opportunity has recently arisen in the Pacific, in the aftermath of the Paris tragedy. Once again, President Obama’s administration finds itself coming to terms with the challenges facing its signature "pivot to Asia," introduced shortly after his entering office.
Given the chaos and instability in the Middle East, the policy cannot ever be fulfilled and its failure leaves less than optimal resistance to counter Chinese aggression across Asia. Disputes with Japan over contested islands, border disputes with India, tensions with Taiwan and Vietnam, cyberattacks against our government and friction against further island building will all receive less pushback should the United States launch an intensified campaign against the Islamic State.
The communist party would be wise to take advantage of our vested interests in the region and our loyalty to our allies, by acting in accordance with Tzu’s strategic principles. Therefore, I predict it will not be long before China makes headlines once again for its controversial actions. The question lies, however, in how the U.S. should respond.
Our resources are scarce and a large percentage of the population views issues such as civil rights and the economy as its top priority. The Islamic State poses a direct threat to our values and our way of life, but many of our security policymakers find China to be a potential adversary and our biggest long-term rival in the 21st century. A dilemma lies ahead for our leadership. Perhaps the real question at hand is: what would Sun Tzu do?