Rice emphasizes friendship during China visit

By Susan Cornwell

DUJIANGYAN, China (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, under pressure to raise human rights and Tibet with Chinese officials, emphasized friendship over friction during a visit to China on Sunday.

After touching down in Chengdu, capital of quake-hit Sichuan province, Rice met with quake victims and toured a relief camp in Dujiangyan, a city hard hit by the May 12 quake which killed some 70,000 people.

"I'm really impressed by the recovery effort. It is really a sign of how the human spirit can overcome great devastation," Rice told reporters.

Washington has been a vocal critic of China's human rights record, and urged China to continue talks with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Beijing denounces the Dalai Lama as a separatist and blames him for masterminding the March 14 riots in Lhasa to derail preparations for the Beijing Olympics in August. The Dalai Lama denies the accusations, and says he favors more autonomy for the mountainous region, rather than outright independence.

Rice, the most senior U.S. official to visit China since the deadly riots in the Tibetan capital, was due to meet Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi later on Sunday.

"Human rights are always a part of the conversation," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on the sidelines of Rice's visit.

China met with the envoys of the Dalai Lama in May, but further talks were postponed by the Sichuan earthquake.