The Hundred-Year Marathon by Michael Pillsbury

In The Hundred-Year Marathon, Michael Pillsbury argues that American leaders have fundamentally misunderstood China’s long-term intentions due to a series of false assumptions.

He suggests that China is executing a secret strategy to surpass the United States as the world's leading superpower by 2049, the centennial of the Communist Revolution. This plan is deeply rooted in ancient statecraft and lessons from the Warring States period, which emphasize deception, patience, and the manipulation of an opponent’s perceptions.

Pillsbury highlights the concept of shi, or the alignment of strategic forces, as a guiding principle used by Chinese hawks to exploit American complacency and obtain vital technology. Ultimately, the text serves as a warning that the United States has unwittingly assisted its own decline by failing to recognize China's competitive ambition to reshape the global order.