BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - Officials in South China's Guangdong province have unveiled plans to raise wages in the region, state media reported.

Guangdong provincial labour authorities said in a 2008 plan that they aim to establish a regular salary increase system and raise wages of all employees in the region by 12 pct or more this year, the China Youth Daily reported.

Other areas in China have announced similar polices, including the financial hub of Shanghai, where a salary rise guideline for this year has called on companies to lift employee wages by five to 16 pct.

This is meant to help households, especially low-income families, cope with the country's surging inflation, which has fuelled government fears of potential social unrest.

China's consumer price index rose 8.0 pct in the first quarter of the year. In February, it climbed to 8.7 pct, the highest in nearly 12 years, before easing slightly to 8.3 pct in March.