China Introduces Subsidies amid Food Shortages

       Some vegetable prices have risen by almost two-thirds so far this month .China's government has said it will provide poorer households with subsidies(津貼，補助） in response to double-digit（兩位數的） food price inflation.Inflation accelerated to（提高到，增加到） 4.4% in October, with food prices rising 10.1%.The government also said it had not ruled out（排除...的可能性；不考慮） price controls if current grain and vegetable shortages worsen.Meanwhile the Shanghai stock exchange has fallen nearly 10% in four days on fears of more interest rate rises in response to the price rises.The Shanghai composite index（上證綜合指數） ended Wednesday down a further 1.9%, having fallen more than 4% on Friday and again on Tuesday.
     The People's Bank of China（中國人民銀行） raised rates unexpectedly in October in response to growing inflation pressures, and has adopted a more hawkish（似鷹的，強硬的） tone since.Consumer price inflation rose to 4.4% in October, which was up from 3.6% a month earlier and its highest level in two years.The average wholesale price （批發價）of some vegetables in Chinese cities rose by nearly two-thirds in the first 10 days of this month, raising fears that food hoarding was exacerbating（加劇，使...更嚴重） shortages.It is also thought the government may be considering stiffer（更強硬的，更嚴厲的） penalties for those caught hoarding （囤積，貯藏）food.

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