It is essential to increase social fairness and justice and boost demand by narrowing the ever-widening wealth gap

Wednesday's State Council meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao was confirmation of recent reports that China is to press ahead with its long-awaited income distribution reform. While laying out near-term economic work plans, the State Council meeting has transmitted the message that "an overall program on income distribution reform is set to be drafted in the fourth quarter".

This means China's marathon effort to draft such a program, which the National Development and Reform Commission has been working on since 2004, is drawing to a close.