The United States is providing 500,000 dollars in initial aid to the victims of the earthquake that struck China and killed thousands of people, dpa reported.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Tuesday the aid was an initial amount that will be disbursed to international relief organizations.
China's Sichuan province was hit by an earthquake of a magnitude 7.8 on the Richter scale Monday, leaving more than 12,000 people dead.