Chinese Truckers Protest High Diesel Prices
Truckers in China protested high fuel prices for a third day, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Protests began Wednesday, with as many as 1,000 truckers gathering near a Shanghai logistics company, the paper reported, and witnesses said some truckers were detained by police.
Trucking traffic remained heavy Thursday around Shanghai and there was little sign that the unrest had disrupted activity through the city’s container ports that some consider the world’s busiest, the Journal said.
Wire services reported demonstrations Thursday in at least one other port area of Shanghai that involved clashes with police, the paper reported.
China’s government controls the price of diesel and other fuels in that country, and while it has raised prices repeatedly, the increases have lagged behind the recent surge in crude oil prices, the Journal said.
State-set prices for diesel and gasoline have risen about 10% in China this year, while crude oil has jumped more than 20% on world markets.
