Armitage, due to arrive late Sunday, will exchange views with Ma over Taipei's ties with Washington and fast warming relations between the island and China, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Armitage had been very supportive of the various cooperative projects with this country when he served the US government," it said.

He will also visit Lai Shin yuan, the chairwoman of Taiwan's China policy decision-making body Mainland Affairs Council, before leaving Wednesday, it said.

The de facto US envoy to Taipei, William Stanton, made it clear earlier this month that Washington welcomed the increased dialogue between Taipei and Beijing.

Ties between Taipei and Beijing have improved markedly since Ma from the China-friendly Kuomintang party was elected president in May 2008, promising to improve trade with and tourism from the mainland.

Yet Beijing, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, still declines to renounce the use of force against the island which has ruled itself since the end of a civil war in 1949.

In response, Taiwan has built up a defence force equipped with weapons acquired mostly from the United States, despite Washington switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Last year Washington announced a weapons package for Taiwan that includes Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters and equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, but no submarines or new fighter aircraft.