From the Chinese Press

It's hard to boost domestic demand

The consumer price index has declined, and the per capita disposable income has increased in the first half of the year. But white-collar workers, who are expected to be the main force to boost domestic consumption, have no extra money to spend, reflecting an awkward dilemma, says an article in Xinhua Daily Telegraph. Excerpts:

A Beijing-based young white-collar worker, named Zhou Weihua, calculated his income and spending per month and concluded that even if his salary increased 10 percent a year, his earnings could meet only his basic needs which include rent, three meals a day and transport costs. So he will have no more money left to buy anything else.