China is about to enter a peak time for mass incidents, as the global financial crisis takes a firmer grip on the economy and society, some senior media observers said yesterday.

The government must prevent social unrest in these times of economic difficulties so it can maintain steady growth and high employment, a report printed in the Xinhua News Agency's Outlook Weekly magazine said.

The report was based on interviews with three Xinhua journalists from Chongqing, Jiangsu and Guangdong on their perspectives on social stability this year.