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"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

January 1, 1970

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Added by wikiquote-import-bot

Added on April 10, 2026

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Philosophers from China Non-fiction authors from China Military leaders from China Cultural critics Taoists

Original Language: English

Sources

There are also some attributions of a relatable comment to Genghis Khan: — To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy. — This is sometimes attributed to Sun Tzu in combination with the above quote, as well as alone, but it too has not been sourced to any published translation of The Art of War, though it is similar in concept to his famous statement in Ch. 3 : "It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles..."

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sun_Tzu

There are also some attributions of a relatable comment to Genghis Khan: — To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy. — This is sometimes attributed to Sun Tzu in combination with the above quote, as well as alone, but it too has not been sourced to any published translation of The Art of War, though it is similar in concept to his famous statement in Ch. 3 : "It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles..."