In next three years the Chinese government will raise pensions for its 47.19 million retirees who were previously employed by non-government institutions in a bid to narrow the ever-enlarging income gap, the State Council revealed recently.

Growth is expected to be larger than during the last three years, although no specific figures have been yet disclosed.
 
Pensions for retired people have been raised about 200 yuan on average in the past three years, but the increase seems negligible in light of the soaring economy.

(China.org.cn by Wu Jin, August 3, 2007)