Colonel Jiang Shi hated politicians. Few possessed analytic minds. Fewer still understood the tenets of warfare. It was why he had wanted the politicians kept out of it. But the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee was the supreme decision-making body of the Chinese Communist Party. Nothing in China was done without their permission. Shi had been left with little choice, especially when his superiors secured an invitation from the General Secretary for him to make the presentation himself. Depending on whom you asked, the meeting had either been a success or an utter disaster. Shi believed it fell in the latter camp.
Colonel Jiang Shi had a deep disdain for politicians, whom he believed lacked the analytical skills and understanding of warfare necessary for effective decision-making. His frustrations grew as he realized that the Politburo Standing Committee, the highest authority in the Chinese Communist Party, controlled all actions in China, leaving him with no choice but to involve them. This involvement was particularly troublesome for Shi, as he preferred to keep politics separate from military operations.
When the General Secretary invited Shi to present his plans, he felt an immense pressure. The outcome of the meeting was debated; some regarded it as successful while others thought it a failure. Shi, however, viewed it pessimistically, believing that the engagement with politicians undermined the military's objectives and strategies, reaffirming his conviction that political interference could lead to disastrous consequences in warfare.
