Editor's note: The 2010 Central Economic Conference opens on Dec 10. As China is to enter into the 12th Five-year Plan, the conference is expected to set the tone for the country's future economic development.

Nov CPI up 5.1%, a 28-month high

China's consumer price index (CPI), a major gauge of inflation, rose to a 28-month high of 5.1 percent in November. [Full Story]

Related readings:
 China's CPI expected to hit 3.2 pct in 2010
 China is 'doing right thing' to curb inflation: Jim Rogers
 Beijing sets sights on taming inflation
 Containing inflation at the root

 

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Tightening policy to be outlined in conference

With the three-day Central Economic Work Conference that kicked off on Dec 10 setting the tone for economic policymaking in 2011, the nation is preparing to tighten its monetary policy next year with more interest rate hikes to battle rising inflation, analysts said.?[Full Story]

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 Real estate market faces a tough time next year

The cash flow of many Chinese property developers is being squeezed as the central government further tightens financing channels to curb the property price growth. The move will provide room for a further price drop and better investment opportunities for real estate funds.?[Full Story]

China raises banks' reserve ratios again

China's central bank on December 10 announced the third increase of the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for banks in a month, an unprecedented move pointing to the urgency of curbing runaway lending amid accelerating inflation. [Full Story]

Price fixers face harsher penalties

Chinese vendors who collude to fix prices will face fines of up to 5 million yuan ($751,880) under new penalties to control prices. [Full Story] 

China mulls $1.5t boost for strategic industries

China is considering investments of up to $1.5 trillion over five years in seven strategic industries, sources said, a plan aimed at accelerating the country's transition from the world's supplier of cheap goods to a leading purveyor of high-value technologies. [Full Story]

   

End of loose monetary policy

China will be "prudent", and tighten its "moderately loose" monetary policy, a recent conference of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee indicates.?[Full Story]

Normalize monetary policy

To determine the best policy response to the rise in inflation it is important to know its cause and how much inflation we should expect in the coming 12 months. It is also good to decide what an acceptable rate of inflation is for a country like China. [Full Story] 

Price increase has not helped farmers

The increase in the prices of agricultural products this year is one of the greatest concerns of the people and the government now. Relevant ministries have announced a series of policies to prevent the prices from rising further. Rising housing prices are still a big concern for the people, but since farm products are daily necessities, the increase in their prices has made life very difficult for them. [Full Story]

   

	The Central Economic Work Conference has been held regularly at the end of every year since 1994. It is the country's highest economic meeting, held by the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council. Leaders at the conference review the country's economic works in the past year, and maps out economic plans for the coming year.