UN chief Ban Ki-moon pledged support to China's earthquake survivors as he toured the devastated southwest region, state media says.

Mr Ban also met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Yingxiu, the epicentre of the earthquake in Sichuan province that left more than 80,000 people dead or missing, a UN official says.

Mr Ban promised UN efforts "to support China's quake relief and post-quake reconstruction," the state-run Xinhua news agency says.

The UN secretary general would also meet with quake survivors in hard-hit Wenchuan, the UN official says.

"The United Nations stands ready to provide further support, as required, to the government of China in its efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs caused by the disaster," Mr Ban said in a statement issued by his office.

'UN aid'

Several UN agencies have been shipping material and relief workers into the quake zone to aid China in resettling the 5.47 million homeless, and ensuring that they have food and medical supplies.

The United Nations has earmarked 8.0 million dollars in relief supplies to China from its Central Emergency Response Fund.

Mr Ban travelled to China one day after meeting military rulers in Myanmar where he persuaded them to allow in foreign aid workers to help the nation's cyclone survivors.

He was due to return to Myanmar for an international conference of donors in the wake of the cyclone. The storm that struck three weeks ago left 133,000 people dead or missing.