China and Taiwan on Thursday signed an agreement to cooperate on the safety of nuclear power in the wake of Japan's atomic crisis this year.

Under the deal, agreed by top negotiators from the two sides during talks in the eastern Chinese city of Tianjin, energy officials from both sides would alert each other if disaster struck and cooperate to limit damage.

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11 triggered a tsunami in Japan which crippled cooling systems at the nuclear plant, causing meltdowns and radiation leaks, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes.

Taiwanese officials said earlier that the deal was needed because the majority of mainland China's nuclear facilities were on the southeast coast, only 100-200 kilometres (60-125 miles) from the island.

"Nuclear power safety touches everyone's lives on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and is related to the environment we all share," said Chen Yunlin, president of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits.

The two sides were also expected to discuss a complex investment protection pact, which they initially hoped to sign last year but had to put off after failing to reach agreement.

Taiwan has been a major investor in China in recent years, providing more than $100 billion in financing, according to some estimates, as well as crucial technological know-how.

Taiwan and China have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing still considers the island part of its territory and has vowed to bring about reunification, even through war.