中国通货膨胀率激增

China says its economy is continuing its robust advance, but the country's inflation rate hit a 32-month high in March despite the government's repeated efforts to control consumer prices.

The government said Friday the economy grew by 9.7 percent in the first three months of the year, down only a tenth of a percentage point from the final quarter of 2010. But the growth in the economy was accompanied by the worrisome rise in consumer prices even as the government increased interest rates four times since October in an effort to cool inflation.Compared to a year ago, China's cost of living jumped by 5.4 percent in March, a figure fueled by an 11.7 percent surge in food costs. The inflation rate was up from the 4.9 percent annual rate recorded in February.

Chinese leaders view rising consumer costs as a political threat. Food prices are particularly sensitive in a country where poor people spend up to half their incomes on food.Chinese leaders have said controlling prices is the government's top priority for the year and Premier Wen Jiabao vowed to continue the government's efforts. He said “every means” would be used to control consumer prices. Mr. Wen said the government needs to “skillfully handle” the relationship between promoting economic growth and taming inflation.

中国表示其经济持续增长。在另一方面，尽管政府不断努力来控制消费价格，通货膨胀率在三月份还是达到32月来新高。

中国政府星期五表示，今年第一季度的经济上涨9.7%，这一数字只比2010年最后一个季度的上涨率降低0.1%。但是经济的增长伴随着消费品价格增长的担忧，政府自从10月份以来已经四次调升利率，以为通货膨胀降温。相比一年前，中国的生活成本三月份激增5.4%， 食品价格更是激增达11.7%。去年2月份的通货膨胀率为4.9%。

中国领导人把消费品价格上涨看作是政治威胁。在一个穷人将多达一半的收入用于食品的国家里，粮食价格异常敏感。中国领导人曾说，控制价格是今年政府的首要任务，中国总理温家宝誓言政府会继续努力。他说，政府会采取“一切手段”来控制消费价格。温家宝还说，中国政府要巧妙地处理促进经济增长和抑制通货膨胀之间的关系。