SHANGHAI, April 16 (Reuters) - Uniqlo, a casual clothing chain operated by Japan's Fast Retaling (9983.T), plans to open 24 stores in China before end of June, bringing the total number to 45, its top executive at the China branch said on Thursday 16 April.

Women's Wear Spring 2009 - Uniqlo China (www.uniqlo.cn)

Pan Ning, managing director of Fast Retaling (China) Trading Co, said the company aimed to expand the number of stores in the country to 100 "in the short term", without giving a specific time frame.

Sales at China's stores jumped 100 percent each year in fiscal years 2007 and 2008, Pan told a press conference.

Fast Retailing has just launched an online store, partnered with China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, hoping to attract more customers from vast regions with no brick-and-mortar stores. (Reporting by Rujun Shen and Jacqueline Wong; Editing by Nick Macfie)