If I wanted to describe the person I was speaking as being Japanese, to me it seems natural to say:

日本人の相手　【にほんじんの　あいて】

... however, one time a Japanese teacher told me it's more correct to say:

相手の日本人

... but it never sat right with me. To me the first way seems more logical because goes from more general to more specific.

First, is 相手の日本人 more correct?

Second, if so, why?

If I wanted to describe the person I was speaking about as being Japanese, to me it seems natural to say:

日本人{にほんじん}の相手{あいて}

... however, one time a Japanese teacher told me it's more correct to say:

相手{あいて}の日本人{にほんじん}

... but that never sat right with me. To me the first way seems more logical because it goes from more general to more specific.

Is 相手{あいて}の日本人{にほんじん} more correct?

If so, why?