Japanese foreign ministry officers who are considered China specialists have increasingly been attacked by Japan's right wing. They have been largely sidelined over the past two decades because politicians figure China hands are not appropriate to represent Japan. This is believed to have contributed to the more hardline policy Japan has shown on China.

When the Abe administration was making its decision to "purchase" some of the Diaoyu Islands, Japan ignored the advice of its then ambassador to China, Uichiro Niwa, who warned it could spark a crisis. At the time, Niwa faced broad criticism for the comments, and some Japanese parliament members called for his firing. Niwa was later replaced.

Now the two countries have a deep distrust of each other.

Yokoi will have his work cut out trying to reduce his country's disagreements and misunderstandings with China as he is supposed to.

Whether he can accomplish that mission is ultimately up to Japan's leader.

In the last two years Abe has taken a summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to be a top diplomatic accomplishment. For this reason, the Abe administration is expected to attach more importance to its China policy.

In remarks at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo in 2013, Niwa said the two countries could have divorced if they were a couple. "But that isn't an option. We are neighbors whether we like the other or not," he said.

While their relationship is gradually warm, the two countries still need to put more efforts into moving it forward.

The author is China Daily Tokyo bureau chief. caihong@chinadaily.com.cn