Sun Tzu and the Art of Soft Power?

China's diplomacy of seemingly veiled threats . . . or perhaps simply warnings . . . is always interesting. This article was published in 2015, but a good reminder regarding current relations. Of course Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is a classic - in which China understandably takes pride. Maybe it is time to read through it again.

from the article:
"Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Liu Xiaoming, also sought to use The Art of War to explain Chinese strategic thinking and to build trust during a 2012 speech to U.K. Joint Services Command and Staff College, saying 'China has the deterrence and wisdom to win without fighting. But if needed, China has the courage and capability to win through fighting. This is the essence of The Art of War and the soul of China’s military strategy today.' Perhaps it is this image Hu Jintao had in mind when he gave President George W. Bush a silk copy of The Art of War in 2006, or when Beijing’s Renmin University gave a copy of the book to Admiral Michael Mullen during his visit in 2011."