U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said Wednesday he hopes the new leaders in Japan, China and South Korea can work together to make the region secure and peaceful during an "important" and "exciting" transition period.
"I hope that new leaders of the region will embrace the spirit of mutual understanding and respect and cooperation for regional peace and stability," Ban told reporters at his yearend press conference. "The peace and stability and their cooperation in the region has wider regional implications."
In addition to calling the region a "dynamic economic force," Ban also spoke of his expectation that the new leaders will be "forward-looking" and have a "broader global vision" to coordinate and cooperate with one another.