A 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook the sea near Taiwan at 3:43 p.m. on Tuesday, said the Taiwanese weather bureau.

The quake's epicenter was 24.57 degrees north latitude and 122.71 degrees east longitude, the bureau said.

The strongest earthquake in Taiwan this year was centered 85.8 km east of Suao in the northeastern Ilan county at a depth of 89.2 km.

The earthquake was caused by friction between the Philippine Sea and Euro-Asian plates, said an official with the bureau's quake forecasting center.

It caused tremors on most of the island except Kaohsiung and Pingtung.

So far, there were no reports of casualties or damage.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2008)