A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 shook southeastern Taiwan on Saturday but there were no immediate reports of damage.

Taiwan authorities said the quake had a depth of 7.3 km with its epicentre in Taitung county, a sparsely populated part of the island.

They said the quake was felt across the island, and buildings shook briefly in Taipei.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. (Reuters)