China says it and Japan agree to resume dialogue, following 2-year freeze over island dispute

Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, center, listens at the start of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit ministerial meetings at the China National Convention Centre (CNCC) in Beijing Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Greg Baker, Pool) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this July 4, 2014 file photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech to students and audience during the lecture at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. China said Friday, Nov. 7, it reached agreement with Japan to ramp up high-level contacts, the strongest indication yet of a possible meeting between Xi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this July 25, 2014 file photo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addresses Mexican and Japanese press as well as dignitaries at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico. China said Friday, Nov. 7, it reached agreement with Japan to ramp up high-level contacts, the strongest indication yet of a possible meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Abe at next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File) (The Associated Press)

China says it and Japan have agreed to ramp up high-level contacts following a virtual freeze of more than two years due to tensions over a territorial dispute.

The announcement Friday is the strongest indication yet of a possible meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

China's Foreign Ministry says the two sides agreed to "gradually resume political, diplomatic and security dialogues."

No meeting has been announced, though Xi and Abe are widely expected to at least hold some kind of tete-a-tete during the summit next Monday and Tuesday. However, it is unclear whether anything substantial would be discussed.

High-level ties have been frozen since September 2012 amid tensions over East China Sea islands claimed by both sides.