China and Japan opened talks on Friday on their dispute over gas exploration rights in the East China Sea in a bid to achieve a resolution.

The Foreign Ministry said in a press statement the two sides expressed ideas to resolve the issue in a formal and informal way. Further negotiations will be held next month.

Hu Zhengyue, director of the Asian Affairs Department of the Foreign Ministry, and Kenichiro Sasae, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, chaired the meeting on behalf of their teams.