TAIPEI, May 29 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Foxconn

will soon announce a second Japanese auto partner, Chairman

Young Liu said on Thursday, as the company best known as Apple's ( AAPL )

main iPhone maker continues its diversification push.

"There are two Japanese automakers; one has already been

announced, and the other is almost ready to be," Liu said at the

company's annual shareholders meeting, without elaborating.

Foxconn subsidiary Foxtron Vehicle Technologies

and Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors ( MMTOF ) this month

signed a memorandum of understanding for the supply of an

electric vehicle model.

Foxconn views partnerships in Japan as a major opportunity

for growing its EV business, Jun Seki, the Taiwan contract

manufacturer's chief strategy officer for EVs, said at a Tokyo

seminar in April.

The Apple ( AAPL ) supplier's interest in working with

Japanese car makers comes as they face growing competition from

Chinese brands that are aggressively making inroads in markets

such as Europe, Brazil and Thailand.

Mitsubishi Motors ( MMTOF ) is a junior partner in the

long-standing alliance of Nissan Motor ( NSANF ) and French

automaker Renault.

Foxconn has previously said it would consider taking a

stake in Nissan ( NSANF ) for cooperation, as it has ambitions to

diversify into EVs. Foxtron, the company's EV joint venture with

Yulon, counts Yulon-owned Luxgen as its main client in Taiwan.