China welcomed the appointment of Uichiro Niwa, Japan's new ambassador to China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing Thursday.

Qin told a regular press briefing that China expected Niwa to play an active role in promoting the development of the bilateral relationship.

The Japanese government on Tuesday named 71-year-old Niwa, adviser to Itochu Corp., Japan's major trading firm, as the country's envoy to China.