"I am tremendously impressed with the spirits of the people we met in the relocation area," Rice told reporters before her departure from Chengdu.

She said that it was not the US government, but the US people that responded with sympathy and kindness.

"We talk about US-China relations, we talk at the government level, but it is really the relations between the American people and the Chinese people that really make the difference," she said.

"With a disaster of this magnitude, no one can do it alone and we are glad that the Chinese government and the Chinese people reached out to the international community and allowed the international community to help," Rice added.

Rice was the highest-ranking US official to visit the area ravaged by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that killed almost 70,000 people.

During her four-hour stay in the province, Rice also toured temporary homes for survivors and saw a water purifier donated by Samaritan's Purse, a US non-governmental organization committed to international relief.

One water purifier was installed in Yonggu Village in Yutang town. It has a daily capacity of 40,000 liters of water, enough for 15,000 people to drink, wash and bath.

The US government has offered cash and materials worth 2.6 million US dollars for quake relief, according to China's Foreign Ministry.

Her Sichuan visit is part of her two-day China tour, which will bring her to Beijing. She is scheduled to discuss with Chinese leaders a wide range of issues, including the Korean nuclear issue.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (2nd L, Front) watches the performance of local children at a resettlement in Dujiangyan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 29, 2008. Arriving in Dujiangyan City on Sunday, Rice visited survivors at a resettlement and extended condolences for the survivors in the quake-hit region. (Xinhua Photo)