China’s premier rejected any comparison between his country and the troubled autocracies in the Middle East and north Africa, while outlining steps Beijing is taking to reduce the potential for social unrest and dissent at home.

In his annual press conference to mark the close of China’s annual parliamentary session, Wen Jiabao said that the government was paying close attention to the upheaval in “western Asia and north Africa” but any attempt to draw an analogy between there and the situation in China was “not correct”.

Mr Wen also stressed the importance of slowing price rises – a potentially destabilising issue and a key theme at this year’s parliamentary session. “Inflation is like a tiger, once it is set free it is very difficult to put it back in its cage,” he said. “Rising consumer and housing prices affect the immediate interests of the people.”