Liu Junsheng, a researcher with the labor and wage institute affiliated with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said the goal of having wages rise by 15 percent a year can be reached but only with some difficulty.

"Although a rise in wages will increase an enterprise' labor costs, especially for the many small- and medium-sized firms that make small profits, the government can offer policies such as tax exemptions and free training to employees and bosses to help these businesses continue to exist and expand," he told China Daily on Tuesday.

Liu said many businesses regularly make profits but do not turn around and increase the wages of those they employ. Collective bargaining will help to ensure workers can negotiate wages with employers, he said.

"In China, employees' wages are still low compared to many other countries," Liu said. "There is much room for increases."

Chinese employees' wages rose 15.3 percent a year on average from 2006 to 2009, according to Liu.

Yang said Chinese authorities will try to make sure that minimum wages rise by 13 percent a year in all provinces over the next five years.

The country also has set a goal of ensuring that migrant workers who are owed pay from employers receive that pay by 2013, he said.