Forget the cost of gas, housing, most food and wages. China has a simple index of its inflation. It is based on the price of pork, which is rocketing upward. That has the attention of the world’s most populous country’s top leader, Premier Wen Jiabao.
According to a government of China press release issued in the summer, Wen said “the government holds the unavoidable responsibility of stabilizing pork prices.” He urged relevant authorities to announce policies as soon as possible to encourage more pigs to be bred and stabilize the pork market.
Price increases are good for pig farmers, according to the Chinese government’s website, but increased urban residents’ living costs.