Inflation triggers off alarm

Rising food prices have triggered off alarms and according to the official news agency Xinhua and local authorities have till Thurday to provide news for an increase of the minumum wages. In an AP dispatch:

Chinese leaders have been alarmed by a spike in inflation that saw the price of eggs rise 37.1 percent in May from their price in the same month last year. Meat and poultry were 26.5 percent more expensive in May compared to a year ago.
The increase "would have a great impact on low-income families," the Xinhua News Agency said.

It is unclear what the effect could be. Minimum wages tend to be rather low anyway and compliance is another problem. The figures for the inflation seem pretty high, compared to what I have seen in Shanghai. Just like the minimum wages, figures for inflation might vary greatly between regions.