Classic Form: In a battle against a large army, avoid getting bogged down fighting the rank-and-file soldiers. Instead, target and capture their leader (the "king"). With its command structure broken, the army will lose its cohesion and fighting will, and will either surrender or disperse.
Modern Version: Neutralize the key voices of dissent and opposition—journalists, researchers, activists, and influential political figures. This is achieved not through kinetic attack, but through a multi-pronged campaign of de-platforming, financial strangulation (lawfare), character assassination, and digital erasure.
AI-Powered Execution: AI systems analyze social, financial, and communication networks to identify the key nodes of influence—the "chiefs" or "kings" of a resistance movement or critical discourse. Once these individuals are identified, they are targeted with a coordinated, automated attack. AI-driven smear campaigns generate and disseminate reputation-damaging content. Automated legal filings overwhelm them with costly lawsuits. Coordinated flagging campaigns on social media trigger automated de-platforming by content moderation algorithms. The goal is to digitally and socially isolate the leader, breaking the will of their followers.
CCP Application: The CCP relentlessly targets and silences any voice that challenges its narrative, both domestically and abroad. Inside China, prominent figures like Alibaba founder Jack Ma or tennis star Peng Shuai can be "disappeared" for weeks or months after making critical comments, sending a chilling message to others. Abroad, the CCP uses its diplomatic corps, state media, and online troll armies to launch vicious smear campaigns against academics, journalists, and human rights activists who expose the regime's atrocities. They are often labeled as "racists" or "extremists" to discredit them in Western circles.
Collaborators: Western media outlets that publish and amplify the CCP's talking points and smears against dissidents. Big Tech CEOs and social media platforms that enforce "content guidelines" which disproportionately silence critics of the CCP to appease Beijing. Advocacy groups that apply labels like "hate group" to organizations critical of the CCP, effectively doing the Party's bidding under the guise of social justice.
Counter: Build decentralized leadership structures that are resilient to decapitation strikes. Create fallback plans, mirror platforms, and secure communication channels to ensure that the removal of one leader does not cripple the entire movement. The goal is to create a hydra-headed resistance: cut off one head, and two more will appear.
Part Four: Sabotage and Entrapment (Stratagems 19-24)
This phase of Total Domain Warfare shifts from probing and positioning to active sabotage and entrapment. The stratagems in this section are designed to undermine an adversary's foundational strength, exploit chaos, transform institutions from within, and turn an opponent's own assets and alliances against them. These are insidious tactics that aim to weaken the enemy's ability to function and respond, creating conditions for collapse without a direct, overt assault. AI and technology are critical for identifying systemic choke points, amplifying confusion, and executing complex, multi-stage entrapment schemes.