TOKYO - Tokyo mothers want their children to grow up to treasure friends and avoid bothering other people, while those in Beijing hope their progeny will prove talented  at work and Seoul mums want them to show leadership.

In general, a survey of mothers in five Asian cities – Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei – showed Tokyo mothers stressing human ties while those in the other  cities were more success-oriented, said a research institute linked to Japanese education firm Benesse Holdings.

While mothers across the board said their top wish for their children was that they would become “people who cherish their families,” their next two desires varied  widely.

Mothers in China said they hoped their children would be“people who display skill at their jobs” and “respected by others,” while those in Taipei valued “being able to persuade others” along with “skilled at work.”

Seoul mothers wanted their children to show leadership and make money.

Not surprisingly for prestige-hungry China, nearly 70 percent of Shanghai mothers and 62 percent of those in Beijing said they wanted their children to attend a famous university, surpassing even South Korea’s famously education-obsessed mothers – who came in third.