This book explores the causes and implications of the diverse programme of institution-building in East Asia by highlighting political interactions among China, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN
in pursuit of self-interests, the influence of critical juncture in historical trajectory, the representation of policymakers’ preferences for political legitimacy in domestic politics, and
the involvement of researchers for regional governance formation.Examining two processes of initiating and developing multilateral institutions in five policy areas: trade, finance, food
security, energy security, and the environment, Yoshimatsu argues that while Japan initiated the formation of regional institutions and made efforts to upgrade them, China exerted decisive
power in determining the degree and direction of the upgrading of regional institutions. Contingent crises or events had significant influences upon institution-building in most cases, but
the influence of researchers was generally limited due to close linkages with governmental actors and the lack of internal cohesion.
