Unilever bows to Beijing pressure by putting off planned price increases 联合利华推迟在华提价 08 英 1 黄燕 英 1 李琼兰 Updated ： 2011/4/5

Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods group, has bowed to pressure from Beijing to delay planned price increases, highlighting a new regulatory risk in an inflationary climate. While Chinese authorities routinely force state-owned enterprises to place the public interest ahead of commercial concerns, Unilever’s confirmation of the government’s request signals that large foreign multinationals are not immune to such pressure.

A Unilever spokeswoman in London said, “I can confirm that Unilever China received a request from the National Development and Reform Commission and has chosen to comply with it, and postpone price adjustments previously scheduled for April 1. Chinese consumers, increasingly alarmed at the rising cost of living, cleared supermarket shelves earlier this week of shampoos, soaps and detergents after state media said four consumer goods companies – including Unilever and Guangzhou Liby Enterprise Group – would raise prices by 5 to 15 per cent.

Alarmed by the reaction, Beijing is understood to have contacted companies to urge price restraint. China’s consumer price index rose 4.9 per cent year-on-year in February. Alongside Unilever, Liby and Tingyi, agreed to delay planned price rises.

Vocabulary: 1.Bow to ： 屈服于 e.g They refused to bow to force. 2.Be immue to: 不受 / 免于 … 影响 e.g He seems to be immune to criticism. 3. the National Development and Reform Commission : 中国国家发改委

4.Clear ：抢购一空 e.g Chinese consumers, cleared supermarket shelves earlier this week of shampoos, soaps and detergents. 5. Consumer Price Index 消费者价格指数：是世界各国普遍编制的一种指数，它可以 用于分析市场价格的基本动态，是政府制定物价政策和工资政 策的重要依据。