Taipei- Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Thursday urged Japan to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan, despite China's warning that Taipei's signing of such agreements with foreign countries must be approved by Beijing.

Ma made the call while receiving Hiroyuki Hawabe, vice director of Japan's Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Ma said that Taiwan and Japan have close ties despite lack of a diplomatic relationship, with Japan being Taiwan's number two trading partner. Taiwan-Japan trade hit
64 billion US dollars in 2008.

Ma said he hoped that Taiwan and Japan can sign a FTA or an economic partnership agreement, and upgrade bilateral trade talks from the level of bureau chiefs to the ministerial level.

"When Taiwan improves ties with China, Taiwan also hopes to maintain balanced development of its ties with Japan, and to improve ties with Japan," he said.

Taiwan, which already has a trade mission in Tokyo, plans to open a cultural centre in Tokyo and a representative office in Hokkaido, northern Japan, to promote cultural and tourism ties.

Japan cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan to recognize China in 1972, but maintains close unofficial ties with Taipei.

However, Japan is unlikely to sign a FTA with Taiwan because China regards Taiwan its breakaway province and bars Beijing's diplomatic allies from making formal contacts with Taiwan.

On Wednesday Zhu Hong, an official from China's Ministry of Commerce, said that Taiwan must obtain approval from China for signing an FTA with foreign countries.

Currently only 23 mostly small nations recognize Taiwan. Taiwan is seeking to sign FTAs with the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries, but these countries have declined.