Master Sun: “Therefore use these assessments for comparison, to find out what the conditions are. That is to say, which political leadership has the way? Which general has ability? Who has the better climate and terrain? Whose discipline is effective? Whose troops are stronger? Whose officers and soldiers are the better trained? Whose system of rewards and punishments is clearer? This is how you can know who will win.”

Li Quan: “A political leadership that has the Way (virtue) will surely have a military leadership that has intelligence and ability.”

Du Mu: “Ask yourself which political leadership of your own or that of your enemy’s is able to reject flatterers and draw close to the wise.”

Mei Yaochan: “The question regarding political leadership is, who is able to win the hearts of the people?”

Adaptation: By reintroducing the value of comparison we are being encouraged to remember that the assessments are to be used to arrive at a relative understanding of contrasting strengths and weaknesses in the balance of powers of two or more given opponents. The objective of the strategic assessment exercise is to understand who is likely to win before strategy is formed.
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