The figure, compared with 8.3 percent in March and a nearly 12-year-high of 8.7 percent in February, was broadly in line with most forecasts.
The NBS attributed the figure to a low base of comparison: the CPI rose just 3 percent in April 2007. Another factor was the rapid increase in world grain and commodity prices.

“Price rises are stable in general. Compared with March, the CPI in April was not substantially higher and prices of some items even fell,” said Zhang Liqun, a macro-economist with the Development Research Center of the State Council, China’s Cabinet. “That means fewer new driving factors for price rises.”

Following the release of consumer prices, China’s Central Bank announced a raising of the reserve requirement for another 0.5 percentage point to 16.5 percent on yuan deposits, effective on May 20.

The consumer price index, the main gauge of inflation, rose 8.1 percent in cities and 9.3 percent in rural areas last month.

“The CPI figure remains high because of a low base last year and the soaring prices of primary food on the international market to push up domestic food costs,” said a statement on the bureau’s Website.

Food prices, which make up around one third of the CPI basket, soared 22.1 percent in April.

The cost of pork rocketed 68.3 percent from a year earlier while edible oil jumped 46.6 percent and vegetables grew 13.6 percent.

The non-food sector saw a growth of 1.8 percent last month, compared to 1.6 percent in February. The March figure was not available.

“The growth is in line with our estimate ranging between 8.3 to 8.5 percent for April. It is still a stable growth and the inflationary pressure will gradually ease in the coming months,” said Li Maoyu, an analyst with Changjiang Securities.

Tao Dong, a Credit Suisse economist, shared that view but cautioned about price increases in the non-food sector.

“We believe the CPI is likely to moderate over the next few months, as food inflation can be curbed by a higher base and improved pork supplies. However, we are cautious about non-food inflation fueled by wage hikes in the medium term,” Tao said.

The producer price index, the factory-gate inflation gauge, jumped 8.1 percent year on year in April to reach a record high in more than three years, boosted by accelerating energy and raw material prices.

Food prices increased by 21.6% as compared with the same month last year, among which grain prices increased 9.0%; oil prices increased 29.2%; meat and its products prices increased 46.8%; egg prices increased 6.3%; aquatic products increased 19.9%; and vegetables prices increased 11.4%.

The following are the three categories with a decline in CPI in April: traffic and communication prices dropped 3.6%; entertainment, education and service prices dropped 2.4%; and clothing prices dropped 0.4%.

The forecast by Justin Lin Yifu, head of Peking University’s China Center for Economic Research and recently appointed chief economist of the World Bank, in the May issue of the magazine published on Thursday is one of the most ambitious for China’s economic growth.

By 2030, it is possible that the per capita GDP of China reaches half of that of the Americans. Given that the Chinese population might be five times that of the US at that time, the Chinese GDP would be 2.5 times of the US.

The World Bank, where Lin will assume his post at the end of this month, said last month that China had surpassed Japan to become the second largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity.

China’s GDP in 2007 was 24.66 trillion yuan (3.38 trillion US dollars) and per capita GDP was 2,556  US dollars, official figures suggest.

Per capita GDP of the US was estimated at 45,845 US dollars, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to the country’s long-term plan, per capita GDP in 2020 should be $3,500, twice that in 2000.

Lin said China’s path of development through technological upgrades is right, but how far it succeeds can only be judged according to past experience.

China’s situation in 2000 was very similar to Japan in 1960: Life expectancy, infant mortality, proportion of agriculture in the whole economy, and Engel’s coefficient - the proportion of expenditure on food - are also similar.

Japan then managed to grow at a high speed for almost 30 years.

“I believe China’s economic momentum is very likely to maintain a similar growth rate of the past 25 years, at about 8 percent,” he said in the magazine.

A stronger yuan also helped to narrow the gap between the nominal figures in China and the US. The currency has climbed 4 percent against the greenback so far this year and 15 percent since China ended the peg to the US dollar on July 21, 2005.

Weather conditions in southern China will remain severe and relief work difficult, Chinese leaders warned yesterday as the country battles with the worst snowfalls in decades.

The warning came after a meeting chaired by Chinese President Hu Jintao to study the relief effort.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has just concluded his second visit in a week to central Hunan Province, the region worst hit.

Wen’s last stop, Chenzhou City, is still suffering power failures and a lack of running water.

Visiting homes of local residents who have had no water and electricity for 10 days, Wen said: “Please be patient. The situation will be better in a few days as the government is going all out to help you.”

A statement issued after the meeting said: “We have to be clear minded that certain regions in the south will continue to undergo icy weather caused by rain and snow and severe disasters will continue.”

“Relief work will remain very grim, posing a tough task on us,” it added. The statement noted that it remained a priority for the government to restore transport and power supplies and guarantee people’s daily needs.

The meeting urged local officials to make relief work a priority even though the transport and power supply problems in some disaster-hit regions have eased. The transportation authority will concentrate on helping stranded people on their way home, and the delivery of relief materials, daily necessities and coal to power plants.

China is facing its worst energy shortage in many years, with heightened demand caused by the intense cold and the snow, and insufficient coal supplies unable to keep up. After an energy shortage that has struck at least 13 provinces and reached about 70 gigawatts, approximately equal to the entire capacity of Great Britain, the government has ordered that coal be supplied first of all to the power plants.

Governments of all levels are told to crack down upon overcharging, especially on daily commodities such as rice, meat and cooking oil.

Chinese army sent out military vehicles, from tanks to armored cars, to clean the highways while the air force’s helicopters and transporters lifted relief material such as candles and quilts to several heavily-affected regions.

Some private companies yesterday donated more than 10 million yuan (US$1.36 million) to victims in affected areas.

And 65,000 medical workers are serving victims in the fields, according to the Ministry of Health.

A symposium on implementing Intellectual Property Strategy Higher Education in China has just concluded at Renmin University on October 22. The forum aimed to further implement intellectual property strategies and develop an innovative economy, as well as providing an overview of the intellectual property education system.

Binying Wang, assistant director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO ) explained the importance of the forum: “This forum is particularly significant since it’s been organized right after the successful conclusion of a most important event—the 17th CPC Congress. From which there is great interest and expectation that a national intellectual property strategy will be launched.”

According to a report conducted by the World Bank of over 120 countries, the richest countries in the world are no longer those with numerous natural resources, but those with intangible wealth. Premiere Wen Jiabao once said, competition in the future will be the competition of intellectual property rights.

“Intellectual property laws show respect for people and human rights, also for inventions. By protecting intellectual property rights, you protect creationism. Just as the report of the 17th CPC Congress said, China, and other countries in the world, have to reform and be innovative, at the same time, the fruit of innovation has to be protected.” said Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

The protection of intellectual property rights is widely recognized as a vital instrument for the promotion of economic, social and cultural development. It’s very clear that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting intellectual property rights, including the promotion and improving of higher education systems. It has made excellent progress in this regard over the past decade, both domestically and internationally.

China’s first intellectual property research center was established 21 years ago at Renmin University, when even lawyers and ordinary people didn’t know what intellectual property laws were. “That was a historical moment. Twenty-one years ago, we already had a research centre concerned with intellectual property rights,” said the president of Renmin University, Ji Baocheng.

Since then, the higher education of intellectual property rights has gradually spread to all top universities in China, with Renmin University becoming a leader in the field.

Over the past 20 years, intellectual property rights in China have developed dramatically, aligning with other international conventions. Intellectual property rights have indeed penetrated every facet of the Chinese people’s daily life.

According to Li Dongsheng, vice-director of China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), the trademark office of SAIC launched a plan to disseminate intellectual property rights in the countryside, since that time they have gained great success.

“We promote agricultural product trademarks and geographical indicators throughout China. In this way many farmers’ income has increased, and the value of agricultural products has also obtained obvious improvements.”