Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday his government would take measures to ensure sufficient supply and stabilize prices.

"Prices have been on the rise these days and I'm aware that even a one-yuan (US$0.13) increase in prices will affect people's lives," said Wen during his visit to some needy citizens in Dongcheng District of Beijing.

To prop up people's incomes, Wen called on employers in the country to offer higher salaries and to strictly abide by the rules on minimum wages.

"Only when people's quality of life is improved will we feel reassured and believe we did a good job," said Wen.

To prevent prices from rising drastically, the government was trying to ensure adequate supply by giving support to the pig-raising, cooking oil and dairy industries and encouraging imports, said Wen.

It was also cracking down on activities that attempted to force up prices far beyond real values, said Wen.

Prices were stable from 2003 to 2006 but climbed rapidly this year, said Wen, adding that the recent price hikes were resulted from such factors as the rising oil and grain prices on the international market.

Rising prices of pork and cooking oil pushed up prices of other foodstuffs even though China had enjoyed bumper harvests in the last four years and the country's grain output would reach a record 500 million tons this year, said Wen.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2007)