Regional leadership in East Asia: Towards new analytical approaches

Christopher M. Dent 1. INTRODUCTION This book has considered various themes, evidence and ideas relating to the prospects for regional leadership in East Asia, with particular reference to China and Japan performing ‘regional leader actor’ roles. Chapter 1 introduced some ways in which we might think there is a region (or are regions) to lead in East Asia. Chapters 2 and 3 then focused on the nature of, and recent developments in Japan-China relations. Thereafter, Chapters 4, 5 and 6 considered the different aspects of Japan and China’s positions in the East Asia region, while Chapters 7 and 8 discussed how the seemingly inexorable rise of China is being addressed within the East Asia region as a whole. This was followed by the analysis made in Chapters 9 and 10 on how China and Japan have explored paths of regional leadership through certain regional and multilateral organizations. In Chapters 11 and 12, the position of certain ‘intermediary powers’ (that is, the United States and Korea) was examined with regards to regional leadership diplomacy in East Asia. This concluding chapter brings together the main findings of the book and presents new analytical approaches for studying the nature of and prospects for regional leadership in East Asia. Throughout this book, chapter authors have from their own thematic perspectives considered how and why regional leadership may arise in East Asia. It is clear that leadership plays a vital role is tackling many of the important challenges currently facing the international community,….