Topic 1: Rental prices in many cities are on the increase. Analysts say it's caused by rises in the cost of housing and the government's new policy that limits the number of homes a family is allowed to buy. Micro bloggers nationwide have different opinions on the issue:
Minminguai: Nowadays, the rent price issue could even cause (relationship) break-ups, and I don't trust love any more.
He X Le: In China, white-collar workers are finding that after paying the rent, the gas, the water and the electricity bills, they are left with virtually nothing from their salary.
A cow who's Pisces: I've just realized that tomorrow is the day when I should pay my rent but, after checking my wallet, I found I don't have enough cash. Oh, just my luck!
Nulldb: The growth rate of rental prices is even faster than the one-year deposit rate, and I cannot accept this. The pressure of living in a small town near Hangzhou, in East China's Zhejiang province, is heavier than living in downtown Shenzhen, in Guangdong province.
Topic 2:
China raised the domestic price of gasoline and diesel in early April this year by more than 5 percent. According to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the domestic wholesale price of regular gasoline will rise by 500 yuan ($76) for each ton, or an extra 0.37 yuan a liter. Diesel prices will be raised by 400 yuan a ton or 0.34 yuan for each liter. The surging price of gasoline and diesel has sparked a heated discussion on Sina Weibo (a Chinese version of twitter):
Suqiqi: Since the oil price has been hiked, we'd better remember to count the kilometers that we cover when driving.
Muran: Under any circumstances, end-customers have to pay for the oil price increase. If you stop driving because of the price hike, then you have to take a taxi or bus.
Baozichuanqi: International oil prices have dropped in recent months, but domestic oil prices have stayed the same. When the NDRC raised the oil prices in April, they contributed to the hike in International oil prices. However, when the International situation changes, the NDRC remains silent and gives no response to people's calls to reduce domestic oil prices.
All the information is from Sina Weibo.
(China Daily 07/05/2011 page14)
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