How China measures national power
And how we would do it
IN “GUANZI”, a text from the seventh century BC, a statesman thought to be called Guan Zhong lays out the “eight views” needed to assess a country’s status. “Tour its mountains and lakes,” he says, “observe its agriculture, and calculate its production of six types of livestock. Then, it will be apparent whether a country is wealthy or destitute.” These days, Chinese scholars employ different methods, but their aim is the same: to assess the balance of power in a hostile world.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Sun Tzu’s slide-rule”
From the May 13th 2023 edition
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