The introduction of the Classic of Weiqi says the Tao of weiqi cannot be separated from Sun Tzu's Art of War, a keystone of China's strategic thinking since the Warring States Period (476-221 B.C.). Mao Zedong used the weiqi metaphor in his 1938 essay Problems of Strategy in Guerrilla War Against Japan. In 1969, the American Scott Boorman displayed perceptiveness in using weiqi to interpret Mao's tactical and strategic moves.

In chess or xiangqi (Chinese chess), pieces constrained in movement are on the board when the game begins but the grid is empty at the opening of a weiqi game. During a chess game, one subtracts pieces; in weiqi, one adds stones. In the Classic of Weiqi, the author remarks that "since ancient times, one has never seen two identical weiqi games."

Weiqi axioms

Three golden axioms expressed in the Classic of Weiqi give a stimulating perspective on China's strategic thinking and also on the Chinese mind.

"As the best victory is gained without a fight, so the excellent position is one which does not cause conflict," says the classic. It introduces the concept of non-confrontation. At weiqi, the objective is not to checkmate the opponent—only positions in relation to others matter. Weiqi's innumerable moves aim to increase influence without reducing the opponent's forces to nothing. The ability to manage the paradox of a non-confrontational opposition requires high emotional and intellectual qualities.

The classic says: "At the beginning of the game, the pieces are moved in a regular and orthodox way, but creativity is needed to win the game." At the beginning of the engagement the action is guided by accepted rules, but victory often requires "irregular" decisions or unorthodox resolution, and only visionary intuition leads to breakthrough. The notion that an unimaginative China would be destined to repeat, imitate or perform mechanically is, of course, a misconception which is largely based on part knowledge of the Chinese world but which, despite the admirable research of Joseph Needham (1900-95) in Science and Civilization in China, persists in distorting the debate.

Discontinuity is the very essence of innovation. To a certain extent, Deng Xiaoping's extraordinary concept of "one country, two systems" to engineer Hong Kong's return to China is an application of this. Chinese leaders from Beijing and Taipei will also make full use of it to reinvent relations in coming years. China will not only innovate in technology or in business management, but also enrich the vocabulary of political science. Western political, business or opinion leaders have to be ready to act in a world with material or immaterial products not only "made in China" but "created by China."

The classic mentions a third dimension: "Do not necessarily stick to a plan, change it according to the moment." The concept of change commands adjusting to a situation and bewaring of blind adherence to a preconceived system, doctrine or ideology. Deng's emphasis on the necessity to "seek the truth from the facts" profoundly continues this pattern of strategic thinking. At the diplomatic level, Mao's unexpected rapprochement with Washington in the 1970s was obviously in this spirit.

This minimalism creates understanding, enabling action with maximum effectiveness. Generally non-confrontational, ready for paradigm change and fundamentally non-ideological, China is in a process of renaissance reinventing its tradition but open to the future. In that sense, the analyst should not look for a Chinese "model" because Beijing has only an experience to offer.

In his poem Written in a Dream, polymath and statesman Ouyang Xiu (1007-72) captures the depth and mystery of weiqi:

The weiqi game comes to an end.

One is unaware that in the meantime the world has changed.

(The viewpoints in this article do not necessarily represent those of Beijing Review)

The author is director of the Euro-China Center for International and Business Relations at CEIBS, Shanghai, and founder of the Euro-China Forum