China's inflation rate jumped to a high of 8.7 percent

An outdoor market is pictured in Beijing, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. China's inflation rate jumped to a new decade high of 8.7 percent in February as food costs soared after winter storms wrecked crops and disrupted shipping, the government said Tuesday.

A bean curb vendor uses her mobile phone at a stall in Beijing, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. China's inflation rate jumped to a new decade high of 8.7 percent in February as food costs soared after winter storms wrecked crops and disrupted shipping, the government said Tuesday.

Venders wait for customers at a market in Beijing Monday, March 10, 2008. China's producer prices, a key inflation indicator, rose in February at the fastest rate in more than three years, suggesting consumers face more sharp price increases despite government efforts to cool the surge, according to data reported Monday.