document: China 's March CPI rise to exceed 5 % : economists BEIJING , April 2 -LRB- Xinhua -RRB- - China 's consumer prices are expected to rise more than five percent in March on a lower comparison basis from a year ago and imported inflation , economists have said . Shanghai-based Shenyin Wanguo Securities predicts the Consumer Price Index -LRB- CPI -RRB- , a major gauge of inflation , to increase 5.3 percent in March , the highest in nearly two years , driven by rising food prices and a lower year-on-year comparison basis . Food prices are likely to jump 12.3 percent from a year ago while the lower comparison basis would contribute 3.4 percent to the CPI rise , the company said in a report . The Bank of Communications also expects March CPI to rise more than 5 percent on pressure from imported inflation . Lu Zhengwei , chief economist with Industrial Bank , said the central bank is likely to hike interest rates after mid-April . China will release economic data for March in mid-April . February 's CPI remained on par with that of January at 4.9 percent . The growth rose from 4.6 percent in December but was less than the 28-month high of 5.1 percent in November .
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