TAIPEI - TAIWAN has called off a delegation that was to have left on Monday morning for informal trade talks in China, after the mainland said it needed more time to prepare, a Taiwanese official told AFP.

This marks the latest in a series of delays in the talks, the fourth round since the China-friendly Ma Ying-jeou was elected president last year.

'China informed us a couple of days ago they need more time to prepare for the talks. Their schedule is tight,' said Huang Chih-peng, director of the Bureau of Foreign Trade and the head of the delegation.

Last month, Taiwan delayed the informal talks, saying its officials were busy answering budget questions in parliament.

The two sides are trying to find a new time for the talks, which are expected to set a timetable for formal discussions on a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement, Mr Huang said.

Mr Ma's government aims for an agreement to be signed early next year, arguing it could lift the island's economic growth by one percentage point. However, the opposition, which favours independence from China, has warned the pact could imperil the island's separate status. -- AFP