Japan's new envoy faces challenges

Ambassador takes post as bilateral ties overshadowed by South China Sea issue

The new Japanese Ambassador to China, Yutaka Yokoi, a China expert who previously worked in the country in other roles for more than five years, arrived in Beijing on Sunday.

Yokoi, 61, takes the post as Sino-Japanese ties have been overshadowed by the high profile adopted by Tokyo over the South China Sea issue, in addition to long-standing historical and territorial issues.