BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) met here Friday to look at ways to more fairly distribute incomes in society.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao presided over the meeting.

    A news release from the meeting said that China should uphold and improve the system in which distribution according to work is dominant and coexists with other modes of distribution.

    The release said future reforms should concentrate on increasing incomes of poorer people, expanding the moderate-income population, effectively taxing high-income earners and banning illegal income.

    The discussion was aimed at finding ways to narrow the income gap between people in different regions and within certain social sectors.

    The government will deepen its reform on the income system of civil servants, and government employees should be paid according to their occupation and rank and a unified standard should be adopted, the released said.

    It said the country will adequately increase the incomes of government workers at the grassroots level.

    It also stressed that people working in remote areas should be provided subsidies and the incomes of employees of enterprises and its retirees also need to be improved.

    Basic pensions, subsidies provided to retirees of enterprises should be properly raised, it said. Enditem

Low income residents face growing difficulties

    BEIJING, May, 16 -- A think-tank study has highlighted the growing problems faced by low-income urban residents, particularly those in the country's biggest cities.

    In Beijing, the minimum wage in 2004 was 545 yuan (US$67.2) per month, just 20 per cent of the city's average income. Added to this, the amount earned was barely half the average monthly living expenditure of 1017 yuan (US$127). Full story

Rural-urban income gap continues to widen

    BEIJING, April 17 -- The survey found that migrant workers who earn between 300-500 yuan (US$37-US$62) a month account for nearly 30 per cent of the total, while those earning more than 800 yuan (US$100) make up of about 28 per cent.

    As an important income source for rural families, the wages of migrant workers have been slow to increase compared with the rapid rise in urban wages over the past few years. Full story

Income irregularity requires better cure

    BEIJING, March. 9 -- China should start addressing irregularities in income distribution by making civil servants' salaries transparent, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee said yesterday. Full story

Call for bigger middle-income group

    BEIJING, March 6 -- A mature middle-income bracket is necessary for narrowing the income gap between the rich and poor, a Hong Kong-based top political adviser said during the ongoing plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee. Full story