This stratagem consists in forging alliances with the distant parties in order to deal more effectively with the immediate adversary. One secures support at a distance so as to isolate and put pressure on the party with whom one is negotiating at close quarters.
Grounding in the source schoolPractitioner-tradition school
Indicative profile: it situates the “Structural negotiation” family as the Asia school practises it, not this technique taken in isolation. Techniques from the same family and school therefore share the same profile. NEGOCOACH editorial rating out of 10, non-experimental · the higher the “relational risk” value, the more costly the technique is to the relationship.
NEGOCOACH assessment
How to read this rating
Tactical potential 6.7/10 (effectiveness, impact, discretion) and vigilance low (relational and ethical risk): two distinct readings, deliberately never merged into a single score that would reward risk. NEGOCOACH editorial rating calibrated from the “Structural negotiation” family and the “Asia” school. Each criterion is rated out of 10; click to understand what it measures.
Effectiveness8/10 · Very high
How far the technique can carry the negotiation in the intended direction when it is well executed.
Psychological impact5/10 · Moderate
Strength of the effect produced on the counterpart's perceptions, emotions and decisions.
Discretion7/10 · High
How hard it is for the other party to notice the technique is being used. A high value = very discreet.
Preparation8/10 · Very high
The information, analysis and rehearsal required upfront to use it effectively.
Relational risk3/10 · Low
Potential cost to the relationship and to trust if the technique is spotted, refused or fails. A high value = riskier.
Ethics7/10 · High
Moral acceptability: fairness, transparency and respect for the counterpart's autonomy. A high value = more defensible.
Level of evidence
Practitioner-tradition school
The school this technique stems from belongs to a tradition of practitioners, passed on through experience, with little or no dedicated study. This indicator qualifies the school, not this technique taken in isolation.
Indicative NEGOCOACH editorial rating, for teaching purposes. For “Relational risk”, a high value signals a cost to the relationship, not a quality.
Overview of ALLYING WITH THE DISTANT TO ATTACK THE NEAR
Origin & history
This is the 23rd of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, and a principle of Chinese diplomacy attributed to the statecraft of the Warring States period, when the State of Qin allied itself with the distant kingdoms in order to conquer its near neighbours one by one. The logic: against a near and dangerous adversary, it is better to secure the support or neutrality of the distant powers, which have no immediate conflicting interest. In negotiation and in business, it inspires the art of building peripheral alliances to strengthen one's hand against the direct interlocutor.
Definition and principle
The technique consists in securing alliances or support from distant third parties (partners, markets, authorities) in order to strengthen one's position and isolate the immediate interlocutor with whom the real stakes are played out.
Concrete examples of application
Application by context
The same technique, across several negotiation settings
A company forges partnerships abroad to strengthen its position against an overly dominant local distributor.
Context 2 / 6
Labour negotiation
One party secures external support (public opinion, other actors) to bring pressure to bear on its direct interlocutor.
Context 3 / 6
Crisis management
A negotiator mobilises peripheral allies to isolate and bend the immediate opposing party.
Context 4 / 6
Political negotiation
An actor weaves distant alliances to encircle a near adversary diplomatically.
Context 5 / 6
Real-estate negotiation
An investor draws on a network and external support to strengthen his hand against a local seller.
Context 6 / 6
Family negotiation
In a dispute, one secures the backing of distant but respected members to bring pressure to bear on the party directly concerned.
Counter-techniques
Spot and neutralise this technique
Negotiation is also played on defence. Here is how to recognise this technique when it is used against you, and turn it around.
Detect
The signals that give it away
Rules and agenda imposed from the outset
A "take it or leave it" frame
A counterpart who "has no mandate"
Neutralise
The counters that defuse it
Negotiate the frame before the substance
Insist on the right decision-maker
Set your own rules of the game
Turn around
Turn it into an advantage
Propose an alternative frame that favours you, rather than enduring theirs.
The trap to avoid
Accepting the other side's ground without ever discussing it.
Strengths and Weaknesses
This stratagem strengthens one's position by building a favourable balance of power even before direct negotiation begins. Its limits: it demands time and a network, and alliances of convenience may prove fragile or costly in terms of concessions in return.
When to use this technique?
Valuable when facing a near and strong interlocutor and when one can mobilise support elsewhere. Less relevant in an isolated one-to-one with no dimension of alliances.
Objectives of the technique
Isolate the nearest/most threatening adversary by depriving him of external support.
Forge alliances or neutralities with distant third parties (which pose no immediate threat) to prevent them from forming a coalition against oneself.
Sequence the balances of power: deal with problems one at a time rather than confronting a united and superior coalition.
Secure one's rear and flanks before engaging the main confrontation.
Fragment a potential opposing front by playing on the divergent interests of the various parties.
Famous cases
Diplomatic · Fan Ju and the unification of China by the Qin: During the Warring States period (5th-3rd centuries BC), the kingdom of Qin was powerful but unable to defeat the coalition of the six other kingdoms on its own. Chancellor Fan Ju (范雎) had the doctrine "ally with the distant, attack the near" adopted: Qin cultivated peaceful relations with the distant states (Qi, Yan) to keep them out of the conflict, while methodically conquering its immediate neighbours (Han, Wei, Zhao). By preventing the formation of a unified vertical alliance against it, Qin eliminated its rivals one by one and unified China in 221 BC.
Business · Neutralising the neighbouring competitor by reaching agreement with the distant ones (representative scenario): Representative scenario: an SME confronted on its local market by an aggressive direct competitor signs non-aggression or cross-partnership agreements (distribution, subcontracting) with actors in distant sectors or regions, where there is no head-on competition. Deprived of potential allies and unable to mobilise a common front, the neighbouring competitor finds itself isolated and becomes the sole target on which the company concentrates its resources.
Common mistakes
Confusing "distant" with "harmless": a distant ally may become the next threat once the neighbour has been neutralised; the alliance is tactical and temporary, not everlasting.
Failing to genuinely honour one's commitments to the distant allies: a premature betrayal tips the third parties into a coalition against oneself.
Attacking the near before having locked in the neutrality of the distant, thereby exposing oneself to a war on two fronts.
Misjudging who the real "near" party to deal with first is (the most threatening, not simply the geographically closest).
Applying the logic of conquest to a relationship that would benefit from remaining cooperative, turning potential partners into lasting enemies.
Limits and ethics
Forging alliances is ordinary diplomacy, and there is nothing objectionable about drawing closer to those whose interests genuinely align with yours: a sincere coalition is legitimate, each party pursues its own aim in full knowledge of the facts, and the State of Qin invented nothing immoral in seeking support. The ethical question lies in the purpose of the alliance. Allying with third parties for the sole purpose of isolating the party with whom one is negotiating, not to build anything together but to encircle him, is to make instruments of partners and to turn a negotiation into an encirclement operation. One imperative limit must be known to every executive, for it goes beyond ethics: when these distant alliances bring together competitors, or coordinate several actors of the same market against a supplier or a customer, they may constitute an anti-competitive agreement within the meaning of Article L. 420-1 of the French Commercial Code and Article 101 of the European Treaty, with penalties reckoned as a percentage of worldwide turnover. Forging alliances with those whose interest aligns with yours is diplomacy; colluding to isolate is sometimes an offence.
Scientific foundations
Thomas C. Schelling (1960) The Strategy of Conflict Harvard University Press
Roger Fisher, William Ury & Bruce Patton (1991) Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (2nd ed.) Penguin Books
Harro von Senger (2008) The Book of Stratagems: Tactics for Triumph and Survival InterEditions
Quick exercise
Test yourself before answering
Answer in your head, then reveal the solution. Memory is built through active recall.
1Quels signaux doivent vous alerter ?
Rules and agenda imposed from the outset
A "take it or leave it" frame
A counterpart who "has no mandate"
2Quelles parades appliquer ?
Negotiate the frame before the substance
Insist on the right decision-maker
Set your own rules of the game
Frequently asked questions
The questions we get most
What is the "The Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Technique" technique?
This stratagem consists in forging alliances with the distant parties in order to deal more effectively with the immediate adversary. One secures support at a distance so as to isolate and put pressure on the party with whom one is negotiating at close quarters.
Is the "The Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Technique" technique ethical?
Yes. Used in good faith it stays within a fair negotiation: it structures the exchange without deceiving the other party. Being transparent about your intentions strengthens the long-term relationship.
How do you defend against "The Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Technique"?
Accepting the other side's ground without ever discussing it. The right reflex: negotiate the frame before the substance.
What is the "The Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Technique" technique based on?
NEGOCOACH does not assess the experimental validation of this technique in isolation. What we document is the grounding of its source school (Asia): practitioner-tradition school. Full detail is in the "At a glance" section of this page.
Practise with AI
Three ready-to-use prompts
Copy, paste into your assistant, replace the [brackets]. Works with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Perplexity.
Prepare
Build your plan before the meeting
You are an expert negotiation coach. Help me prepare to use the "The Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Technique" technique in the following situation: [describe your situation]. Give me: the conditions for success, a 3-step script, my counterpart's likely objections and how to answer them.
Play the role of my counterpart in a negotiation. I am going to test the "The Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Technique" technique. React realistically and with resistance, do not give in too quickly, then at the end analyse my performance and suggest 3 concrete improvements.
Here is how my negotiation went: [paste the exchanges]. Analyse whether the "The Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Technique" technique was used well, what worked, the mistakes made, and spell out precisely what I could have done better.
Founding works of the 🀄 Asia school this technique belongs to.
L'Art de la guerre
Ouvrage classique
Sun Tzu · -Ve s.
The oldest treatise on strategy, 2,500 years old. Sun Tzu teaches how to win without fighting: know yourself and know your adversary, cunning, terrain and timing, principles transposed to negotiation.
Beyond Culture (haut/bas contexte)
Book
E. T. Hall · 1976
Hall distinguishes "high-context" cultures (implicit, relational) from "low-context" ones (explicit, factual): an essential key to understanding intercultural misunderstandings in negotiation.
Traditions of China, Japan and Korea (guanxi, mianzi, nemawashi, ringi, nunchi, kibun…).
The author
Author
On video
See the technique in action
Videos to picture The Befriend the Distant, Attack the Near Technique and anchor it through examples.
This stratagem consists in forging alliances with the distant parties in order to deal more effectively with the immediate adversary. One secures support at a distance so as to isolate and put pressure on the party with whom one is negotiating at close quarters.
The right reflex
Propose an alternative frame that favours you, rather than enduring theirs.
Never do this
Accepting the other side's ground without ever discussing it.
6.7/10 tactical potential Low vigilance Practitioner-tradition school
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