Emerging Leaders in East Asia: The Next Generation of Political Leadership in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

Foreword

Foreword A new generation of leaders is on the rise in East Asia. Shaped by distinctive political experiences, the emerging leadership in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan will bring new perspectives and fresh priorities to the region’s political climate. How this up and coming elite responds to regional trends and potential crises will shape the future course of East Asian politics for years to come. Formative influences such as professional background, education, social ties, and political allegiances provide important indicators of these future leaders’ respective world-views and likely policy priorities. As Asia emerges as a critical center of gravity in world politics, a nuanced understanding of these factors provides U.S. policymakers with an essential foundation upon which to build effective policy toward the region. This report represents the culmination of a year-long initiative launched by NBR to provide U.S. government and corporate leaders with a better understanding of East Asia’s future leadership. By examining the qualities and characteristics that define these rising leaders and distinguish them from their predecessors, the initiative explores the possible implications of their emerging influence for U.S. foreign, economic, and security policy interests. To this end, in the spring NBR conducted a series of briefings on the report’s findings to policymakers in Washington, D.C., and in July two sections of the report were published in NBR’s journal, Asia Policy. We look forward to continued interaction with the policymaking community on this subject as well as to a wide distribution of the report’s research findings. Given its considerable policy relevance, exploring the emergence of new leadership in East Asia will remain a priority research area for NBR’s Politics and Security Affairs Group. As such, we are already in the process of developing a future round of research in this important topic area. I would like to recognize and express appreciation to the members of the research team whose work appears in these pages. It has been a true pleasure to work with each of them, and the project has benefited immensely from their expertise and professionalism. In particular, I would like to thank Ken Pyle for his vision and leadership, which guided the project from its inception. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge the NBR project team, fellows, and editors, whose efforts contributed to the success of this initiative. Finally, I would like to thank the Smith Richardson Foundation for its generous support of this project. Travis Tanner Director, Pyle Center for Northeast Asian Studies The National Bureau of Asian Research ...