The Art of War is the greatest military theoretical work in ancient China. It is also one of the most respected Chinese books and has a tremendous amount of influence worldwide. The book deals with both strategic thought and philosophical ideas, which have since been widely applied in the areas of the military, politics, and economics.

Completed more than 2,500 years ago, the book is the earliest military theoretical work in the world, written 2,300 years earlier than On War by Karl Von Clausewitz.

The book's author, Sun Wu, was a great Chinese strategist during the Spring and Autumn Periods and is honored as Military Sage. He came to Wu State to escape the war and was nominated as a general by the king of Wu State. He defeated 200,000 Chu State soldiers with an infantry of only 30,000 soldiers. This established his fame and prestige in the military field. After reflecting on his experiences, he write The Art of War, which discusses a series of universal military rules and proposes a complete military theoretical system.

With more than 6,000 Chinese characters, The Art of War has 13 subjects in 13 chapters. For example, Strategy chapter talks about the merits of waging a particular war. It reminds the reader of the strong relationship between war and politics and the economy. He wrote the five basic elements decisive for war are politics, timeliness, favorable geographical location, commanders and law, among which the politics is the most important. The Fight chapter discusses the best way to carry out the war. The chapter of Strategy of Attack is about how to attack the enemy. Sun Wu believes battles should be won with the least cost; such has capturing an enemy's castle without a direct fight or conquer an enemy state without an enduring war. He thinks the best way is to win a war is through political strategy. Failing that, he advises diplomatic measures followed by force, and finally attacking the enemy's castle. In terms of Strategy of Attack, it is important to have a clear idea not only about one's own strengths but also that of the enemy. In the chapter of Use of Spy, he says various spies must be use to obtain a wide range of information before a war.

The Art of War consists of a great deal of valuable philosophical thoughts. The verse "if you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles" has become popular among the Chinese people. There are many dialectic thoughts in the book as well, which discusses such contradictions as the guest and the host, the majority and the minority, the strong and the weak, attack and defense, triumph and failure, interest and trouble, and others. The Art of War encourages one to study these contradictions and use it to form the basis of war strategies. The dialectic thought contained in the book holds a significant position in the history of Chinese dialectic development.

The Art of War has been widely applied by countless militarists since it was completed, and the stories and strategies in the book are well known to the Chinese public. The meticulous military and philosophical thought system, the profound philosophy, and the lessons on strategy and tactics have made it an influential work around the world. It has been translated into 29 languages including English, Russian, German and Japanese, and several thousand editions have been printed worldwide. Many countries even use it as a textbook in military schools. It is reported that during the Gulf War in 1991, both sides of the war applied sections from The Art of War into their military planning.

The Art of War is also widely applied in social and commercial areas. Many entrepreneurs, both at home and abroad, use thoughts from the book to enhance their management and marketing abilities.