Understanding China: 10 books from Xi's bookshelves
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Master Sun's Art of War
By Sun Wu
The Art of War is a classic written by military strategist Sun Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). In his Geneva speech in 2017, Xi said, "The Art of War, a Chinese classic, begins with this observation, 'The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road to either survival or ruin. Hence it demands careful study.' What it means is that every effort should be made to prevent a war and great caution must be exercised when it comes to fighting a war. For several millennia, peace has been in the blood of us Chinese and a part of our DNA."