China to make good on neighbors

This year could well be called a world election year. The United States has seen the re-election of Barack Obama as president and France has undergone a leadership change. In Northeast Asia, China, Japan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Mongolia have already seen or will soon experience leadership transitions.

The widespread expectation, therefore, is that international relations will become more harmonious after the leadership transitions. China expects a Beijing-Tokyo-Seoul cooperation mechanism will get a boost after the elections in Japan and the ROK.

Xi Jinping, China's top political leader and head of the military, has reiterated China's stand that it will never pose a threat to another country, because the country needs a peaceful, stable and friendly environment for its development. Rifts or problems are not uncommon between neighboring countries, but they have to be resolved peacefully through dialogue.