China expressed hope Wednesday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's new Cabinet lineup will help ease the tense relations between the two nations.

"We hope that Abe's Cabinet members will all be active promoters of the improvement and development of Sino-Japanese relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said during a regular press briefing.

He declined to discuss any specific appointments, saying he was unaware of what changes had been made and that Beijing would not comment on Japan's internal affairs.

Abe added several new members to his team who are believed to have a positive outlook on China.

Sino-Japanese relations are at their lowest point in decades due to the territorial row in the East China Sea and disagreements over interpretations of wartime history.