Classic Form: While carrying out your main task, take advantage of any small, incidental opportunity that presents itself. If you see an unguarded goat along your path, simply lead it away. The principle is one of constant, opportunistic acquisition.
Modern Version: Exploit any and every moment of chaos, negligence, or distraction in a target nation to conduct continuous, low-level theft of data, intellectual property, and human talent. This is not about a single grand heist, but a strategy of achieving dominance through a thousand cuts.
AI-Powered Execution: AI systems function as automated, persistent "pilferers," operating 24/7 at a global scale. They continuously scan the global digital environment for vulnerabilities—a misconfigured university firewall, a weakened corporate data protocol during a merger, an unpatched software vulnerability in a critical infrastructure component. The AI flags these "unguarded goats" for immediate exploitation by state-backed hacking teams (like Volt Typhoon or APT41) or for acquisition by corporate fronts. This process is automated, relentless, and operates at a speed and scale that is impossible for human-centric defense systems to effectively counter.
CCP Application
Systematic Cyber Espionage: CCP-backed hackers engage in constant, widespread probing of U.S. critical infrastructure, government agencies, and corporations. They are not always looking for a specific, high-value target; rather, they are continuously collecting any data, access credentials, or intellectual property they can find, stockpiling these assets for future use. The cumulative effect of this constant "pilfering" is staggering, with the theft of IP from American companies estimated to cost up to $600 billion annually.
Talent Poaching (Thousand Talents Program): The CCP uses sophisticated talent recruitment programs to identify and lure scientists, engineers, and academics working in the U.S. who possess access to sensitive research and technology. These individuals are offered lucrative financial packages and prestigious titles in exchange for transferring their knowledge and proprietary data to China, often in direct violation of U.S. law and their employment contracts. AI can scan academic publications, patent filings, and professional networks like LinkedIn to identify the most valuable human targets for these programs.
Exploiting Crises: During the COVID-19 pandemic, while the world was distracted and healthcare systems were overwhelmed, CCP-linked hackers specifically targeted U.S. universities and pharmaceutical companies to steal vaccine research and clinical trial data. This is a classic example of combining "Loot a Burning House" (Stratagem 5) with the constant, opportunistic theft of "Pilfer a Goat."
Collaborators: University research labs and corporations with lax cybersecurity protocols that fail to adequately guard their "goats" (intellectual property and sensitive data). Academics and researchers who participate in CCP talent plans, either wittingly or unwittingly, in exchange for funding, resources, and prestige. U.S. government agencies that are too slow, bureaucratic, or compartmentalized to recognize and counter the pattern of constant, low-level intrusions, often dismissing them as isolated incidents rather than a coordinated campaign.
Counter: Adopt a "zero trust" cybersecurity architecture across all government and critical infrastructure networks, assuming that they are already compromised and continuously monitoring for anomalous activity. Vigorously prosecute all instances of economic espionage and intellectual property theft, and hold universities accountable for protecting federally funded research from foreign exploitation. Create secure, resilient domestic supply chains for critical technologies to reduce the strategic value of pilfered manufacturing secrets. This stratagem reveals that the CCP's data acquisition strategy is not just targeted, but
environmental. They are not merely hunting for specific secrets; they are systematically harvesting the entire digital ecosystem of their adversaries. The constant, seemingly random "pilfering of goats" is, in fact, the systematic collection of data points needed to construct a high-fidelity, dynamic virtual model—a "digital twin"—of its primary adversary. This digital twin, encompassing everything from personal psychological profiles to industrial blueprints and critical infrastructure layouts, can then be used for wargaming, simulating the effects of economic or cyber attacks, identifying critical choke points, and predicting societal reactions to influence campaigns.
Part Three: Probing and Positioning (Stratagems 13-18)
Following the initial phase of deception, the CCP's strategy transitions to actively probing enemy defenses, repurposing assets, and positioning forces for a decisive confrontation. This set of stratagems involves calculated risks designed to reveal weaknesses, lure adversaries into unfavorable situations, and decapitate leadership structures. AI and advanced technology are crucial in this phase for conducting reconnaissance at scale, creating sophisticated lures, and identifying the most critical nodes in an enemy's command structure. The goal is to shape the battlefield to the CCP's advantage before any major engagement begins.