Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said that the death toll from a massive earthquake on 12 May had passed 60,000 and could reach 80,000 or more.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon visited an area devastated by the earthquake in southwestern Sichuan province as international efforts picked up steam to help China shelter and care for millions of homeless.
The UN chief arrived from neighbouring Burma, where one day earlier he persuaded the ruling military leaders to accept a major relief effort for survivors of the cyclone, which struck there three weeks ago.
In China, he offered further UN assistance and praised China’s response to the disaster, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Unlike Burma, China has accepted international rescue teams and doctors, although it faced some criticism for waiting several days to make its decision.
China has been eager since the quake to ease tensions with other countries.
The US Army has flown in three cargo planes laden with tonnes of life-saving supplies to southwestern Chengdu in the past week, according to US officials.
In one of the latest contributions, a 13-member French team that can provide medical care was due to fly in today to the quake zone.
In a boost for the relief effort, China announced that the main railway connecting Sichuan province's capital Chengdu with the central city of Baoji had reopened after nearly 300 hours.
The government has said it would take up to three years to reconstruct Sichuan, where one in five people in quake-hit areas have been made homeless.
An immediate danger is the risk of disease. Authorities say they urgently need more tents and more medication, particularly antibiotics, to prevent the outbreak of illnesses in the coming summer months.
