TOKYO - Japan and China could resume talks on their competing claims to gas reserves in the East China Sea as early as November in Tokyo, a news report said Saturday.

Both Japan and China claim rights to undersea resources in the waters.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to continue a dialogue on the issue during their first summit meeting in Beijing after Abe took office in late September.

Officials in the two countries have been making arrangements for director-general level talks, which have not been held since July, Kyodo News agency reported, without citing sources.

The talks could resume as early as next month in Tokyo, it said.

The undersea gas fields are one of numerous territorial disputes between Japan and China in the East China Sea, ranging from where to demarcate each country's exclusive economic zone to sovereignty over a small island chain.

Both nations are eager to develop new sources of energy and have held talks to try to settle the dispute, but without any progress.

Japanese Foreign Ministry officials were not available for comment Saturday.