*Jiè dāo shā rén* is one of China’s Thirty‑Six Stratagems. Literally “borrow a knife to kill”, it refers to the manipulative trick of making a third party eliminate your opponent. The schemer stays hidden and avoids blame. It applies to military, political and real‑world scenarios, corresponding to “use someone as a cat’s‑paw” in English.
“Kill with a borrowed knife” (“Kill with a borrowed sword”, or “Borrow one’s hand to kill”) is a famous Chinese idiom and also the third stratagem of thirty-six. It means to convince others or even your enemies that your enemies are theirs, and make them believe they will be defeated, betrayed or otherwise end…