Chinese government officials will meet with representatives of the Dalai Lama in the wake of weeks of tension with Tibet, according to reports from Xinhua, the Chinese state-run media.
U.S. President George Bush and European Union leaders have been among those calling on China to begin a dialogue with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.
In mid-March, anti-government riots shook Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, kicking off a series of protests that have marred much of the Beijing Olympic torch's journey around the world.
There are many questions surrounding the meeting, said CTV's Steve Chao reporting from Beijing.
"If in fact the government representative would meet a representative from the Dalai Lama's side this would be a major development following the months-long Tibetan unrest we've seen in this country," Chao told CTV's Canada AM.
"And it would signal to some degree that the Chinese government may be listening to the urging of the international community."
The government has not yet officially confirmed the reports, but Chao said the state-run media is usually accurate in reporting government news.
The report cited "official sources" as saying the Dalai Lama's side had made repeated requests to resume talks.
"The relevant department of the central government will have contact and consultation with Dalai's private representative in the coming days," the unnamed official said in the report.
However, there are no details about when the meeting might take place and it was unclear exactly which representative was expected to take part in the meeting.
"The big question is, is it a genuine gesture or is it a public relations plan?" Chao said.
He noted that Chinese officials have met with Dalai Lama representatives on six other occasions in recent years, but little or no developments have come out of the meetings.
"There still a lot of questions at this point existing as to whether in fact this is true, if in fact there will be a meeting and if there is a meeting will there be genuine talks."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry and international affairs office said it had no information about the report from Xinhua.
"The policy of the central government toward Dalai has been consistent and the door of dialogue has remained open," the official was quoted as saying.
There are disputes over the violence in Lhasa, with China claiming 22 people died. But Tibet supporters say dozens were killed in the protests and security crackdown.
China's human rights record has come under scrutiny as a result of the riots in Lhasa and the protests that have followed the torch, casting a shadow over the coming Beijing Olympics.
The torch arrives in Hong Kong soon, but Chao said he expects none of the large scale protests that have occurred in other parts of the world.
He said tight security will be in place, and there is likely to be a large contingent of Chinese who come out in support of the government.
