China strikers win concessions, as ugly protests underline inflation fears

Striking Chinese truck drivers have won concessions in their battle against rising costs that threatened to disrupt Shanghai, the world's biggest port.

The regional Government has intervened to reduce some of the increase in fees that triggered strike action in an attempt to take the heat out of an issue that has demonstrated China may be encountering growing social unrest as it wrestles with an inflationary surge.

Chinese truckers' protest increases inflation fears

Chinese authorities have moved to halt a strike by Chinese truck drivers over soaring fuel costs, amid government concern that civil unrest about runaway inflation could spread throughout the country.

The Chinese government has raised fuel prices three times since December and China's consumer price index rose 5.4pc year-on-year in March, the fastest rate of increase since July 2008. It is running much higher than the government's 2011 target of 4pc.