 Mark McNeilly writes in Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare that a modern interpretation of Sun and his importance throughout Chinese history is critical in understanding China 's push to becoming a superpower in the twenty @-@ first century . Modern Chinese scholars explicitly rely on historical strategic lessons and The Art of War in developing their theories , seeing a direct relationship between their modern struggles and those of China in Sun Tzu 's time . There is a great perceived value in Sun Tzu 's teachings and other traditional Chinese writers , which are used regularly in developing the strategies of the Chinese state and its leaders . 
