声东击西

Pronunciation: shēng dōng jī xī Literal meaning: Make noise in east, strike in west

Origin & Usage

Making the noise (声) in the east (东) and striking (击) in the west (西). The sixth of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, and the text states its condition: it works against an enemy whose command has already become confused, because the manoeuvre depends on the other side being unable to tell which of two signals is the real one. That detail usually gets lost. It is not simply a feint but a feint aimed at somebody already losing track, and Chinese keeps that reading in business and negotiation — the diversion has to be aimed at an opponent who cannot check.

Examples

English: "The competitor's marketing campaign was just a diversion from their real strategy."

Chinese: 竞争对手的营销活动只是声东击西的策略。