China's consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.2 percent in April, a little higher than the 0.8 percent rise in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in Beijing on Friday.

 

Food items were up 1.8 percent and non-food prices 0.9 percent compared with April last year. As food comprises a major factor in China's consumer goods, the 1.8-percent rise was significant in the CPI rise.

 

Compared with the same period last year, poultry and meat products as well as eggs dropped markedly in price, but grain was up and the price of fresh vegetables rose 15.6 percent in April, NBS statistics show.

 

Prices of water, electricity and domestic energy were up 6.8 percent. Materials for housing construction and decoration also rose along with rents.

 

Gasoline and car parts were 11.2 percent up, but prices of telecommunication equipment dropped 10.1 percent.

 

Figures from the NBS show that the CPI in the first four months rose 1.2 percent year-on-year and the figure for the first two months was 1.4 percent.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2006)