Newly appointed Japanese Ambassador to China Masato Kitera arrived Beijing on Tuesday afternoon.

Kitera was appointed to replace the Shinichi Nishimiya, who died before he even arrived in China. Kitera was Japan's assistant deputy chief cabinet secretary for less than two months. He was appointed as the new ambassador to China in November.

Kitera began work at the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 1976. He has previously been posted in Thailand and France, and headed the Foreign Ministry's African Affairs Department.

"I think my primary task is to promote Sino-Japanese ties by communicating with Chinese personages of all circles. I want to stress that as the second and third economies of the world, China and Japan have had profound and broad economic and trade cooperation, but the cooled relations between Japan and China is not good for the people of the two countries and their economies. Only deepening Sino-Japanese ties can benefit people in both counties," Kitera said.

Analysts say he does not have much experience with China affairs but is good at coordinating international relations. Kitera says improving relations with China is in the interest of both countries.