ABSTRACT
Tai Gong stresses the independence of military affairs from interference by the ruler and flexibility in warfare. The qualified general should 'combine both military and civilian abilities', 'uniting both hardness and softness', with not only courage but also wisdom. Wei Liao Tzu contends that military victories can be won through three measures: the Tao, awesomeness and strength. Military thinking has not only had a tremendous impact on warfare, commerce and politics but has also become part of Chinese culture, affecting the thinking and behaviour of ordinary people. Business transactions are mainly carried out on the basis of cash on delivery, as a Chinese saying suggests: 'One would not release the hawk without seeing the hare.' Most business partnerships are more than likely to fall apart once they have become sizeable and grown strong.
