CHINA

Minimum Wages Set for First Time: Workers in Shanghai will receive at least $24 a month, and those in the southern boom town of Shenzhen will get a minimum of $32, the official China Daily reported. The minimum wages are a step in a series of government reforms intended to protect urban workers. The government has given provincial centers until July to come up with their own minimum wages, the paper said. As well as guaranteeing a reasonable standard of living, the new minimum wages will prevent workers from being exploited by foreign factory managers, the paper said.