The cost of living in China

Grumbling about inflation is nothing new. But now it's time for the Chinese to make a song and dance about it. Despite the Beijing government insisting that rising inflation levels are ‘structural' and a sign of a healthy economy, ordinary people are finding it hard to see through the same looking-glass. Making their voices heard online, they're using the internet to vent their fumes. Sometimes light-heartedly, like in the video ‘The riddle of spending power' (which we've subtitled in English), but also more seriously.

'The riddle of spending power'

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"Inflation is there, it's important, and it has a huge influence over people's lives"

Blogger Cai Shenkun lives in Beijing. He says he is a consultant for the government, the press and universities. See his blog: http://www.bokerb.com/logshow.asp?id=23890.

The commission of development and the department of statistics both insist that price rises are entirely structural and therefore normal. But let's take a look at the recent inflation rates: 3.4% in June, July and August, and almost 6.5% in September and October. And it only got worse in the last few months.

The stats don't lie. Inflation is there, it's important, and it has a huge influence over people's lives. For example, food prices have increased by 17.6% in a year; pork by 54.9% and salt by 40%. The same has happened for rent, so that people are forced to live in increasingly small apartments. Faced with this price hike, politicians brush over the issue. But they're ignoring the lives of ordinary people.

Inflation isn't under control anymore. We remember last summer when it stayed under 1.5%. And if the harvests are as bad next year because of bad weather, then inflation will be even worse."

Posted 18 November 2007