Curb all-pervasive inflationary pressures

China's consumer price index (CPI) edged a little lower to 5.3 percent last month, having jumped to a 32-month high of 5.4 percent in March, latest statistics show.

This could be a cause for optimism for the Chinese government, which has been battling hard for a full-year inflation target of 4 percent since the beginning of the year.

However, policymakers should not take it at face value as the country's war against inflation is far from over. Signs show that persistent inflationary pressures are finding their way, in many unexpected forms, into the pockets of domestic consumers.