earticle

영어

This paper analyzes theoretically the leadership competition between China and Japan for hegemony in East Asian regionalism since 1997 Asian financial crisis, using the concept of ‘discursive hegemony’ and examining relevance of main stream international relational theories to East Asian regional order. East Asian states not only have a view of neo-liberal institutionalism in that they recognize the benefits of regional integration and institution for cooperation, but also a view of realism in that they are absorbed themselves in calculating national interests when negotiating regional cooperation. Constructivism is useful to analyze a process of discursive hegemony which competitive leaders attempt to get for winning leadership. China and Japan have competed for securing more potential followers by arousing and satisfying their motives for which two countries have been vying until now, extending membership of regionalism in which Japan is showing preponderance, and endeavoring to beat the competition in terms of norms for regionalism in which China is still superior. Sino-Japanese antagonistic leadership competition is expected to continue for the present and will continue to dissipate any impetus toward regional association.