Problem: Generally speaking, why was it in the interest of East Asia's authoritarian leaders to prioritize national economic development, rather than engage in self-serving and corrupt behavior? Need Assignment Help? Group of answer choices The citizens of the three East Asian countries were all strong anti-government; this meant that they demanded their leaders build strong economies. If the leaders failed to do so, they would have been chased from office. East Asian culture put a great deal of emphasis on virtue; thus, East Asia's leaders were bound by those cultural traditions. External threats created a profound degree of national vulnerability; this meant that, to stay in power, East Asia's leaders needed to build strong national economies to confront external threats. The leaders of all three East Asian countries feared being colonized by the major Western powers.