Japan and China opened talks Thursday in Tokyo over gas reserves in the East China Sea.

Officials from the foreign ministries of the countries attended the talks. Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Yoshinori Katori said two sides were expected to clarify their standpoints in efforts to narrow the gaps between them, Kyodo News agency reported.

Earlier this week, China warned not to expect any breakthrough at the talks.

Japan was represented by National Resources and Energy Agency chief Nobuyori Kodaira and Kenichiro Sasae, head of the Foreign Ministry's Asia-Oceania Bureau. The Chinese side was led by Hu Zhengyue, chief of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Asian Affairs.

The issue has strained relations between Beijing and Tokyo. China claims it has rights to the gas reserves under the sea bed in the East China Sea's Pinghu field, but Tokyo says the two countries should share them.

Repeated meetings between the countrie have failed to resolve the dispute.

Japan said last month Chinese maritime authorities had posted a notice that all unauthorized ships would be banned in the waters around the Pinghu field from March 1 to September 30. But Beijing said the notice excludes the waters on the Japanese side.