Tokyo's next ambassador to Beijing on Thursday played down concerns he might be too soft on China and said he will continue to put Japan's interests first when he takes up his post April 10.

One reason for the attention on Yuji Miyamoto, 60, is his background as a member of the so-called China School -- a group of Foreign Ministry officials who underwent Chinese language training to become specialists on the country.

Those officials have often been criticized for being soft on Japan's biggest Asian rival, but Miyamoto said such criticism does not apply to him.