Japan and China on Friday released simultaneous statements in which they said they would work on relations that have been marked by animosity in recent times.

"The two sides have agreed to gradually resume political, diplomatic and security dialoque through various multilateral and bilateral channels and to make efforts to build political mutual trust," the statements said.

The communiques were released following a meeting between the national security adviser of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Shotaro Yachi, and China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi.

The statements also said that the two countries "acknowledged that different positions exist between them" about a disputed group of islands in the East China Sea, and had agreed to set up a crisis management mechanism to prevent "contingencies."

The islands, known to the Japanese as Senkaku and to the Chinese as the Diaoyu, have been at the focus of several confrontations between paramilitary vessels from both sides in recent years.

Meeting in the works?

The reports of a thaw in relations lend added credibility to reports in Japanese media on Friday that the countries' two leaders may hold a long-awaited one-on-one meeting at an Asian-Pacific forum in Beijing next week.

No meeting has yet been officially announced, but Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ken Okaniwa said the sides were making "concrete arrangements."

"We're discussing with a view to arranging such a meeting, but it's not yet decided," Okaniwa said.

Abe has not met Chinese President Xi Jinping except to shake hands since taking office in late 2012. He has recently been calling for the meeting on the sidelines of the November 10-11 Asia-Pacific Cooperation (APEC) summit, while insisting that no conditions be set for talks.

For its part, China has sought a pledge from Abe that he would not repeat the visit he made in December 2013 to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which is dedicated to Japan's war dead, including executed war criminals. Beijing sees the shrine as a symbol for Japan's past militarism.

China has also called on Japan to acknowledge that there is a formal territorial dispute over the islands. Friday's statements would seem to go some way toward meeting this demand.

Abe had a brief encounter with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang last month at an international gathering in Italy.

tj/kms (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)