There is rising pubic disquiet at pay rises awarded to China's top politicians and civil servants.
Communist Party leaders, including President Jiang Zemin and the Prime Minister, Mr Zhu Rongi, were accused yesterday by an angry public of feathering their own nests at a time when hundreds of thousands of state workers find themselves being laid off.
Under the deal President Jiang will now earn the princely sum of £3,000 a year - less than half the Irish minimum wage. This excludes his one month's annual bonus.
As well as senior politicians China's cabinet has given a pay raise to 45 million civil servants. The pay rise, announced by state media yesterday, was approved by the State Council in February.
The announcement caused anger in Internet chat-rooms, one of the few forums for public debate in China.
One message said that giving civil servants a raise was unreasonable with thousands of workers being laid off from state enterprises.
Another message said it was wrong to give the pay increases at a time when unemployed workers did not have enough to eat.
The Chinese Finance Minister, Mr Xiang Huaicheng, let the news slip on Thursday at a news conference on the fiscal situation.
"Regarding the increase in salary this year. . . I already have mine in hand," he said.
From this month, China will raise salaries by an average £10 a month as well as offer allowances for hardship postings in 13 of its provinces and give a yearend bonus of a month's pay to qualified officials, the minister said.
State Council documents said the pay rise fully showed "the loving care of the party and State Council for officials and staff.
"It will also continue to expand domestic consumption and power economic growth," it said. In total the government will spend £80 billion on the salary increases this year.
The increases are also aimed at stemming corruption in the ranks of officials.