This book investigates the determinants of leadership in East Asia, emphasizing the significance of followership in the success and failure of leadership projects proposed by China, Japan, and the United States. While doing so, it answers a central question in the field of international relations: Why do potential leader countries succeed in obtaining potential followers in some instances, but fail to do so in other instances? Employing an inclusive leadership and societal approach, the book investigates how the leading countries motivate followership in East Asian economic and security dynamics. It analyzes how Chinese, Japanese and American leadership obtained acceptance from potential followers, focusing on the significance of domestic politics of potential follower countries in shaping their governmental preferences and generating followership.
The book features empirical evidence in six case studies, covering topics such as the successful Chinese endeavor of South Korea joining the Chinese initiative for the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB), the failed US attempt to prevent South Korea from doing so, the US's success to convince Japan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the failed Japanese strive for winning South Korea's support for Japan's bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council (UNSC), the Chinese failure at obtaining the Philippines' backing of the Chinese aspirations in the South China Sea (SCS) during the Aquino Presidency, and, finally, the Chinese success one the same effort during the Duterte presidency.
The book will appeal to students, scholars, and researchers of international relations interested in a better understanding of leadership determinants in East Asia, Global Power Shift, foreign policy, as well as East Asian economic and security dynamics.

Focuses on the significance of followership in the successful performance of leadership Highlights the importance of the potential follower's domestic politics Presents empirical evidence in six detailed case studies

Autorentext

**Fei Su** is a political scientist, whose research focuses on regional leadership, Sino-US competition, and mega Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Moreover, she is also working on the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), leadership competition, and digital transformation. Su holds a Master of Law in international relations from Zhengzhou University, China, and a PhD in political science from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. She is a member of the European International Studies Association (EISA) and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of International Organizations Studies (JIOS).

Inhalt

Chapter 1. China, Japan and the United States in East Asian Economic and Security Dynamics.- Chapter 2. The Significance of Followership in Successful Leadership Performance.- Chapter 3. Inclusive Leadership and Societal Approach as the Theoretical Framework.- Chapter 4. Systematic Process Analysis and Multi-Step Analysis.- Chapter 5. Leaders Need Followers: South Korea and the Leadership Competition between China and the US in the Establishment of the AIIB.- Chapter 6. Leaders Need Followers: An Analysis of American Leadership and Japanese Followership in the TPP.- Chapter 7. Leaders Need Followers: Non-Followership of South Korea and the Failure of Japanese Leadership in Pursuing the Permanent Seat on the UNSC.- Chapter 8. Leaders Need Followers: China and the Philippines in the Joint Development in the SCS.- Chapter 9. Conclusion.