expression, noun
a fight where neither side gains, but a third party benefits
Idiomatic expression derived from a Chinese fable; often used to warn against mutual destruction that allows an outsider to profit. Compare with 漁夫の利.
See also: 漁夫の利
両社の価格競争は鷸蚌の争いとなり、結局は新規参入した外資系企業に市場を奪われた。
The price war between the two companies turned into a fight where neither benefited, and in the end a newly entered foreign-affiliated firm took the market.
派閥同士の鷸蚌の争いが続けば、組織全体が弱体化するだけだ。
If the factions keep fighting each other like the snipe and the clam, the whole organization will only weaken.
漁夫の利 focuses on the third party who profits from others' conflict, while 鷸蚌の争い emphasizes the mutual struggle itself that leads to that outcome.
From a Chinese fable in which a snipe and a clam lock together in a fight, allowing a fisherman to catch both. The expression is used metaphorically for a conflict that benefits an outsider.