Chinese, Japanese Officials Meet over Island Dispute

Talks to be held Tuesday to try to work on resolving the matter

Rival claims to a group of tiny islands will be the focus of talks Tuesday between Chinese and Japanese officials, testing whether the countries can summon the political will to put the rancor behind them.

The Japanese government's claim to own the East China Sea islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, which it reinforced with a purchase from private owners this month, has sparked sometimes violent protests in China and informal boycotts of Japanese products.

The meeting between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai will focus on relations between the countries.