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September 23, 2008

A Picture of Wedded Bliss

Chilling out on a sunny day at the beach in China, you can see some children splashing around in the water, maybe a raucous ball game or two between friends and a couple of token foreigners soaking up the rays in the hope of a sun tan. All this seems perfectly normal, in line with the holiday atmosphere. Then, out of the corner of your eye you spot a woman in full white wedding gown and veil standing by the waves, accompanied by a grinning groom in a crisp suit and a manic photographer with a massive camera pushing and pulling the couple into poses every which way…

Most foreigners would probably guess that the happy couple is enjoying a beach wedding. Certainly they have that nervous happy look familiar to brides and grooms across the globe. However, the truth is that their ‘real’ wedding day is, in fact, scheduled for three months later this year. Like many other Chinese couples, they have simply chosen to shoot their wedding album in advance, with multiple costume and location changes to create a catalogue of images of newly wedded bliss. If you look carefully by Chinese churches, waterfalls or other beauty spots you may well spot a couple being photographed for their wedding album. Pictures by the beach in full wedding gear are just one part of the overall package.

While in many Western countries, custom dictates the groom does not see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding to avoid bad luck, in China this habit of visiting a wedding photographer in advance is widespread. Rather than being seen as tempting fate, it is accepted as a practical and essential part of getting married for most modern urban couples. Logically, it does make sense to have some pictures taken in advance, so a pre-approved photo of the happy couple can then be presented to the guests on the wedding day itself.

The ‘picture perfect’ wedding album shot in advance is just one Chinese wedding custom that might surprise or interest people from other countries. Many of China’s old wedding traditions have been adapted to the modern day wedding. For example, in the past a decorated sedan chair would carry the groom to fetch his bride. Nowadays friends decorate a car which is used for the same purpose. The wedding banquet is now most likely to be held in a hotel or fancy restaurant, but as tradition dictates this meal remains the centre of all the wedding celebrations. Often there are more than hundred guests and several courses. Superstition dictates that certain foods must be served, such as fish because the pronunciation of this word in Chinese is the same as the pronunciation for the word “abundance”, which means that the newly weds will have plentiful wealth.

The actual civil ceremony of marriage in China consists of registering the marriage with the local registrar and is usually swiftly done without too much fuss or ceremony. The closest Chinese ritual to the idea of saying wedding vows is probably when the newly weds drink wine from two cups tied together by a red string to demonstrate their binding commitment. The focus of wedding preparations is on an elaborate and complex reception. Chinese culture traditionally considered marriage as the joining of two families, and today the couple’s parents are still involved in the planning from early on. The family pick an auspicious date for the wedding: the Spring Festival and other modern festivals are popular choices, as well as other traditional ‘lucky days’ in the Chinese calendar.


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First Chinese to spacewalk on Friday

The first Chinese astronaut is likely to walk in space around 4:30 pm on Friday, a day after spacecraft Shenzhou VII lifts off, the commander-in-chief of the mission's ground operation has said.

The historic moment will be broadcast live across the world, xinhua.net quoted Cui Jijun as having said on Tuesday, and the space environment is expected to be fine for the mission.

Shenzhou VII is scheduled to blast off from Jiuquan in Gansu province tomorrow night. The exact time will be announced on Wednesday.

The Shenzhou-VII mission entered the countdown stage after the final check on the spacecraft, the carrier rocket and the ground operation system was completed Tuesday morning.

Scientists simulated the ignition of the rocket and the in-flight moves of the capsule to test how the observation, control and communication systems at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center work.

The rocket will be loaded with fuel after an overall quality review and approval of the mission headquarters. And all the settings of the spacecraft and the observation, control and communication systems will be frozen till the launch.

The spacecraft, its Long-March II-F carrier rocket and the escape tower were fitted on the launch pad on Saturday.

Technicians checked the rocket and the spacecraft on Monday to test how it functioned, Cui said. "All work well."

The space environment will be stable and calm during the mission, the Center for Space Environment Research and Forecast (CSERF), affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said.

"After analyzing all the conditions, we predict that the space environment will be safe for the launch and the spacewalk," Liu Siqing, CSERF deputy director, said.

Starting from Tuesday, the center will submit a report on space environment and all operation systems to the headquarters every day till the completion of mission, Liu said.

The report will cover high-energy electrons, high-energy protons, X-rays and geomagnetic fields, which could affect the spaceship's flight.

Huang Weifen, deputy chief designer of the mission's flight system, said six astronauts - three to fly out and three to be on standby - have reached Jiuquan on Sunday. One of the three on the spaceship will conduct the spacewalk.

The six astronauts have been housed in a guarded quarantine facility, she said.

Other mission staff have to wear masks and sterilized uniforms and undergo health checks before entering the compound, and cannot even shake hands with the astronauts.

Doctors on the compound are closely monitoring the astronauts' physical and psychological states, she said.

All the five satellite-tracking ships are in position to support China's first spacewalk mission. Four of the vessels are in the Pacific Ocean and one in the Atlantic.

Jian Shilong, director of China Maritime Tracking and Control Department, said the ships would track and support Shenzhou VII, and monitor the spacewalk.

The ships, which can control the shuttle's solar panels, its orbit maneuverings and help with its maintenance, are part of China's space telemetry network, which comprises about 20 terrestrial surveying stations, too.

A new purpose-built media center will be opened in Beijing tomorrow for overseas journalists covering China's first spacewalk mission. This is the first time the country will open its space mission to the foreign media.


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You're a Pig - The Chinese Zodiac

“Are you a monkey?”
“What?”
“I think you’re a pig.”
“Excuse me?”
“You look like a horse.”
“How dare you! Now look here….”

These questions may seem insulting in the West, but here in China this inquisitive individual is merely trying to understand what kind of person you are. You see in China, one’s personality is not judged by their Western star sign (Sagittarius, Aquarius etc), but by one of the 12 animal signs that represent the 12 types of personality and make up the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Each year is assigned its own animal and you are designated an animal by your year of birth. But it doesn’t stop there; the Chinese zodiac is a lot more complex.
Based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, this 60-year cycle is comprised of 2 separate interlacing cycles; the first being the 5 elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water (based on the 5 major planets: Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn) in both their Yin (dark) and Yang (light) forms. In Chinese philosophy, everything that is perceived in the natural world (including astronomical phenomenon) have two opposing faces that in turn, complete each other to make a whole. In the zodiac, the 5 elements are a further breakdown of this theory and serve to modify and affect the characteristics of the 12 animals, therefore each animal is governed by both an element plus either a Yin or Yang form (think Scorpio as a water sign, Leo as a fire sign etc).

The second cycle is the 12 animals (in order) – rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar. These animals are the representations of the 12 Earthly Branches – a system which ancient astronomers used to divide the celestial circle into 12 points in order to plot the orbit of Jupiter (Suìxīng – literally the Year Star) as it traversed the sky.
There are a few myths about how these particular 12 animals were chosen. One myth has it that the Jade Emperor invited all animals in creation to a race and only 12 of them showed up and he honoured them by immortalising them in the zodiac according to their position in the race that is where they were positioned in the cycle, with the rat in first place and the boar in last.

Within ones animal year there is a monthly animal (or inner animal) and within one’s inner animal there is also an hourly animal (or secret animal). The monthly animals follow the agricultural (lunisolar) calendar which divides the year into 24 two week segments with each animal being linked to two of these periods (being roughly equivalent to a Gregorian month). While the yearly animals of the zodiac are used to identify ones personality, the monthly animals are concerned with what motivates an individual. As it gives a better indication of ones inner being, feelings and emotions, it is also essential to gain a better understanding of the individual’s compatibility with other animal signs.
The days, like the months, are also divided into 24 hour segments with each animal being allocated their own 2 hour period. These hourly (secret) animals are said to be the truest representation of ones personality as they centre on the precise time of the individual’s birth.
There is a complicated and arduous method of fortune telling based on ones birth year and birth hour which is still in common practice today in China and is known as zǐwēidǒushù (literally purple star calculation).
Although this age-old mysticism carries much cultural weight, few young Chinese take it seriously today and only use it as a way to understand someone’s age rather than their personality. However horoscopes can still be found in papers and magazines warning rabbits to stay away from snakes and letting the rats know that 2008 will be their year, and for all the lonely hearts out there in horoscope land, here’s a tip to improve your chances in finding that special someone: some animals are more compatible than others.
Here is a quick rundown of the 12 animals, their good and bad personality traits and their compatible partners!

Rat (Mouse) – (years: 1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008)
Positive personality traits – Intelligent, great leadership skills, ambitious, strong-willed, meticulous and systematic.
Negative personality traits - Selfish, greedy, manipulative, cruel, quick-tempered, aggressive.
Compatible with: Monkey, Dragon, Ox.

Ox (Cow) – (years: 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1972, 1985, 1997, 2009)
Positive personality traits – Dependable, industrious, modest, patient, positive, hard-working.
Negative personality traits – Stubborn, petty, possessive, dogmatic, gullable, critical.
Compatible with: Rat, Snake, Rooster.

Tiger – (years: 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1973, 1986, 1998, 2010)
Positive personality traits – Courageous, energetic, honest, determined, optimistic, independent.
Negative personality traits – selfish, impatient, hot-tempered, opinionated, impulsive, rebellious.
Compatible with: Horse, Dog, Boar.

Rabbit – (years: 1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1974, 1987, 1999, 2011)
Positive personality traits – Well-mannered, cultured, diplomatic, hospitable, sensitive, intelligent.
Negative personality traits – Gossipy, naïve, timid, gullible, prone to hypochondria, indecisive.
Compatible with: Sheep, Dog, Boar.

Dragon – (years: 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)
Positive personality traits – Ambitious, charismatic, dignified, powerful, noble, magnanimous.
Negative personality traits – judgmental, arrogant, intolerant, demanding, pompous, imperious.
Compatible with: Rat, Rooster, Monkey, Snake.

Snake – (years: 1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)
Positive personality traits – wise, profound, discreet, organised, compassionate, logical.
Negative personality traits – indifferent, judgmental, critical, anxious, sore loser, intense.
Compatible with: Ox, Rooster, Dragon.

Horse – (years: 1906, 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)
Positive personality traits – Adventurous, enthusiastic, original, independent, creative, lively.
Negative personality traits – Fickle, impatient, not serious, tactless, rash, overly-talkative.
Compatible with: Tiger, Dog, Sheep.

Sheep (Goat) – (years: 1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)
Positive personality traits – Creative, empathetic, modest, intuitive, generous, compliant.
Negative personality traits– lazy, irresponsible, self-pitying, insecure, capricious, anxious.
Compatible with: Rabbit, Horse, Boar.

Monkey – (years: 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)
Positive personality traits – Witty, honest, humorous, inventive, versatile, independent.
Negative personality traits – Manipulative, egotistical, meddling, careless, opinionated, superficial.
Compatible with: Rat, Dragon.

Rooster – (years: 1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)
Positive personality traits – Observant, brave, meticulous, enthusiastic, witty, social.
Negative personality traits – Self involved, materialistic, pretentious, vain, bossy, fussy.
Compatible with: Snake, Dragon, Ox.

Dog – (years: 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)
Positive personality traits – Loyal, well-meaning, playful, patient, modest, versatile.
Negative personality traits – Nervous, pessimistic, sarcastic, accusing, self-righteous, petty.
Compatible with: Tiger, Horse, Monkey.

Boar (Pig) – (years: 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019)
Positive personality traits – Honest, caring, tolerant, hospitable, social, popular.
Negative personality traits – Materialistic, vulnerable, spendthrift, indulgent, hesitant, naïve.
Compatible with: Sheep, Rabbit, Tiger.


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September 15, 2008

Learn Chinese in Mid-Autumn Festival

This week the topic, and food, on everyone's lips... mooncakes. As the gifting and re-gifting festivities take place  now, get informed about what this holiday is all about.

The Lunar Festival was traditionally the third and last festival for the living in the Chinese calendar. It always occurs on the 15th of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, so in the Western calendar that is usually some time between mid September and mid October. It is a festival that has traditionally been celebrated by both the Han and the minority nationalities.

The Chinese custom of worshiping the moon goes as far back as the ancient Xia and Shang dynasties (2000BC – 1066 BC). Most of China’s historical palaces and classical gardens have a moon viewing pavilion for this reason. People drew a connection between the changes of the moon and of life, comparing the waxes and wanes of the moon to the human emotions of sorrow and joy due to parting and reunion. The Mid Autumn festival falls at the time in the lunar calendar when the moon is full. It came to symbolize a time of reunion when fruit and grain had just been harvested and food was abundant, so families came together under the full moon to celebrate.

Vocabulary:

  • 中秋节 (Zhōngqiūjié) Mid-Autumn Festival
  • 传统 (chuántǒng) tradition
  • 月饼 (yuèbǐng) moon cake
  • 冰淇凌 (bīngqílíng) ice cream

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September 09, 2008

China's first seven star hotel to be built in Sanya, Hainan

You won't have to go to Dubai to enjoy seven-star luxury anymore as the world's second seven star hotel — and China's first — is going to be built in Sanya, Hainan. Construction of the 120m high hotel will begin later this year and will be completed by 2011 to be managed under the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts brand. Shanghai Daily tells us more:

Located in the center of Haitang Bay in Sanya City, the hotel will spread over 150 square kilometers and include a luxury yacht club, a golf course and the biggest ocean park in Asia.

It will be among another 20 five-star hotels in the area and will be a major landmark in Sanya when it is completed.

The hotel will be designed by UK-based W.S Atkins plc which designed the world's first seven-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab, in Dubai.

A 150 square kilometer hotel?! Good heavens, that's one-seventh the size of Chongming Island and one-fifth of Singapore. And that's not all. According to the Hainan Daily, Sanya's urban planning authority have announced that the city will build not one, but two seven-star hotels.

Really, we're just a slight tad disappointed they didn't decide to go one up and build the world's first eight-star hotel instead.


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September 08, 2008

Playing the Lute to a Cow – Chinese Idioms (Chengyu)

For those studying the Chinese language, after mastering the grammar, intonation, and good amount of vocabulary there remains one final test: The ‘Chengyu’ 成语 (literally ‘set phrase’ – but better translated as ‘proverbs’ or ‘idioms’).
They are not only difficult due to their close links to the classical form of the Chinese language (as most are drawn from ancient literature), but also for the need to understand the history and myths preceding them. Each idiom carries its own story, some going back more than two thousand years. The stories behind them should ideally be studied in conjunction with the idiom in order to truly understand the meaning of each chengyu (which can be rather ambiguous when just read alone). Their ancient origins are expressed by each story opening with a reference to a specific time in Chinese history with many taking place in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-467 BC) The Warring States Period (475–221 BC) and the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). Typically chengyu are 4 characters long and tend to reflect the moral behind the story rather than the story itself, unlike the 8 to 10-character-long truncated witticisms - 歇后语 Xiehouyu- which incorporate both the condition and resulting situation e.g:

山中无老虎 – 猴子成大王 (shan zhong wu laohu – houzi cheng dawang) – ‘When the tiger is out of the mountains, the monkey is king’, used when students misbehave due to the absence of the teacher or workers slacking due to their boss’s absence.

There are at least 5000 chengyu used in modern Chinese today and mastering a good few of these will not only help the individual to sound more native by speaking idiomatic Chinese, but will also widen his/her vocabulary give him/her a greater comprehension of Chinese culture. Here are a few of the better know ones:

Playing the lute to a cow - 对牛弹琴 (dui niu tan qin)

In ancient times there was a man who played the zither very well. One day he played a tune in front of a cow hoping that the cow would appreciate it. The tune was melodious but the cow showed no reaction and just kept on eating grass. The man sighed and went away.
The idiom is used to indicate reasoning with stubborn people or talking to the wrong audience

Drawing a snake and adding feet - 画蛇添足 (hua she tian zu)

In the Warring States Period, a man in the state of Chu was offering a sacrifice to his ancestors. After the ceremony the man gave a beaker of wine to his servants. The servants thought that there was not enough wine for them all and decided to each draw a picture of a snake; the one who finished the picture first would get the wine. One of them drew very rapidly. Seeing that the others were still busy drawing, he added feet to the snake. At the moment another man finished, snatched the beaker and drank the wine saying “A snake doesn’t have feet. How can you add feet to a snake?”
This idiom refers to ruining a venture by doing unnecessary and surplus things.

Smashing the cauldrons and sinking the boats – 破釜沉舟 (po fu chen zhou)

During the late years of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), General Xiang Yu led a rebellion. After crossing the Zhang River, Xiang Yu ordered his men to sink all their boats and break their cooking pots. He issued each soldier three days’ rations and warned them that there was no way to retreat; the only thing they could do to survive was to advance and fight. After nine fierce battles, the Qin army was finally defeated.
This idiom is used to indicate one’s firm determination to achieve one’s goals at any cost.


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September 05, 2008

Couple on the Bund ShangHai


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September 02, 2008

Olympic marketing: How did sportswear brands do?

For sports apparel brands, the Olympics are arguably the most important stage for marketing. So how did the sports marketers fare with the Chinese market in these Olympics? Here's a look at how things played out for Adidas, Li-Ning, Nike, Puma and Speedo

Adidas

Adidas reportedly shelled out 70 million euros to be an official Olympic sponsor. Adidas gear was also all over Olympians, great for television exposure. But aside from shoes and uniforms, Adidas wasn't particularly visible in Olympic venues. It had no special presence on the Olympic Green, but its beautiful flagship store in Sanlitun near the Workers' Stadium and Workers' Gymnasium saw lots of foot traffic.

Its Olympic ad campaign, though beautifully designed and fitting in concept ("Together in 2008, Impossible is Nothing"), came up short in the personnel categories. That campaign had four primary faces, in sports that are very popular in China--diver Hu Jia, footballer Zheng Zhi, basketball player Sui Feifei and a few women's volleyball players. Hu pulled out due to injury, Zheng and the men's football team had an embarrassing performance and Sui Feifei was only sixth in scoring on Team China. The women's volleyball team played strong in a very tough field, but in the end only came through with the minimum result acceptable to the hometown fans, a bronze medal.

Li Ning

China's biggest sports apparel brand had the biggest marketing coup of the games—its founder, Li Ning, carrying the Olympic flame on a three-minute slow-motion run to the top of the Bird's Nest, where he lit the Olympic cauldron. The company's stock went up the next day, and Li Ning will always have his stamp on what seems to be an especially important part of the Olympics to Chinese fans.

Li Ning also had its name on the uniforms of China's diving and table tennis teams, who delivered dominant performances, as well as the Spanish men's national basketball team, which gave Team USA a tough match before losing in the gold medal game.

Nike
Nike's two biggest bets on Chinese athletes were Yi Jianlian and Liu Xiang. Yi was solid but not explosive, averaging 9 points a game. The Chinese national team, wearing Nike jerseys, didn't really exceed expectations, but certainly didn't come up short, making it to the quarterfinals before losing to Lithuania. But Chinese fans were more excited about catching a glimpse of Team USA, who were also sporting Nike's hot new jersey, available in stores all over Beijing.

Nike had to deal with the toughest spin job of any Olympic marketer this year—how to salvage its investment in China's biggest sports star, Liu Xiang, when he didn't even compete in the games. Nike's immediate answer--a full-page ad celebrating the love of sport even in defeat--succeeded in becoming part of the stream of catharsis after Liu bowed out. But Nike got some negative publicity for its efforts to hunt down netizens who alleged that the shoe company had coerced Liu to drop out rather than lose to Robles.
Nike.jpg
Liu and Yi weren't the only athletes that Nike put is name behind. It was all over China's teams, and ready with full-page ads in China Daily and front-page ads in Titan sports news when any of its athletes won a medal or had a strong performance. Swimmer Zhang Lin (silver medalist), boxer Zou Shiming (gold medalist) and beach volleyball duo Tian Jia and Wang Fei (silver medalists) were just a few of the lower-profile high-achieving athletes that Nike celebrated in its Olympic campaign.

Puma
Dollar for dollar, Puma might have gotten the most of its Olympic investment. Its hopes ran on two spiked shoes-- those of sprinter Usain Bolt, who loped across the finish line to set the 100-meter dash world record. China loves a winner, and Bolt and the dominant Jamaican team were very well-received in Beijing. Jacques Rogge can complain all he wants, but most Chinese don't mind a guy who's willing to revel in his moment.

Speedo

If you weren't wearing a Speedo LZR Racer in this Olympics, you might as well never leave the Water Cube's warm-up pool. Nine out of every 10 swimming gold medals went to LZR wearers. The only complaint that people had about the LZR was that it made swimmers too fast, world records too common. The suit was considered such an integral part of success that Nike agreed to let its swimmers wear LZRs instead of Nike suits. Speedo doesn't have a big presence at Chinese sports retailers—swimwear here tends to be generic instead of branded—but China, along with the rest of the world, has no choice but to see Speedo as the leader in swimwear technology.


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Shanghai boasts fattest pay packets

Shanghai tops all other cities on the Chinese mainland in terms of income, according to a study conducted by human resource website Zhaopin.com.

Employees in Shanghai earned between 20,000 ($2,900) and 540,000 yuan a year, said the report, which also investigated earnings in Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing and some other cities between August 2007 and July this year.

Shenzhen, Beijing and Guangzhou follow Shanghai in the income ranking, but the difference is not as large. For example, annual incomes in Guangzhou, which ranks fourth, range from 18,000 yuan to 420,000 yuan, it said.

While having some of the highest earnings in the country, Beijing and Shanghai are also pricey places to live in. Both were ranked among the top 30 most expensive cities to live in the world, according to US-based Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

In second-tier cities such as Hangzhou and Nanjing, people earn much less than in the big four.

On average, company employees in urban areas witnessed a pay rise of 13.8 percent in the first half of this year, compared with 9.7 percent in 2007, according to the survey released on Thursday.

Employees at State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have seen the sharpest pay rise, by 14.5 percent, followed by private firms (13.9 percent), foreign enterprises (11.7 percent) and joint ventures (11.4 percent).

But people in SOEs and private firms earn "only half" the amount of those working for foreign firms and joint ventures. Salaries in foreign-funded companies and joint ventures are generally the highest in China, the survey noted.

As for different professions, people in the financial sector are the wealthiest, followed by those in real estate and high-tech, it said.

Zhao Lipeng, a senior salary consultant with Zhaopin.com, said that double-digit pay rises in the first half of this year were largely a result of the fast rising Consumer Price Index (CPI), a gauge of inflation.

"The government is trying to control the price of goods like pork on the one hand, while also asking employers to pay higher salaries," he said.

"It should help achieve a balance (so that people don't feel the pinch of inflation)."

Pay rises have exceeded the country's average annual growth rate of 12 percent, but can hardly offset the impact of rising inflation on many consumers.

"For me, a pay rise of 400 yuan is nothing compared with the rising price of consumer goods," said Zhao Feng, an employee of a private firm in Beijing.

"Now even a bowl of noodles can cost you 10 yuan, almost double the price last year," he said.

Last month, the National Bureau of Statistics said the average urban worker's annual salary was nearly 13,000 yuan, 18 percent higher than the same period last year.


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