China's central bank said Monday stabilising prices remained a top priority as the nation's politically sensitive inflation rate was still high, despite a slight easing in August.

"Currently, some factors causing price rises in China have to some extent been controlled but have not been completely eliminated," the People's Bank of China said in a statement.

"Inflation is still high, and stabilising overall price levels remains the main macro-economic task."

Authorities in the world's second-largest economy have been struggling to tame inflation, which they fear could cause more unrest after recent public protests, as living costs spike for many millions.

The government has implemented a number of measures over the past year to try to slow inflation, including restricting the amount of money banks can lend and hiking interest rates five times since October.

The National Bureau of Statistics said Friday that the consumer price index (CPI) -- the main gauge of inflation -- rose 6.2 percent in August, down from a more than three-year high of 6.5 percent in July.

But analysts warned that price pressures would continue to put pressure on the government and hopes that authorities might relax monetary policy were premature -- claims reinforced by the central bank statement.

The government had originally set a target of four percent for inflation in 2011, but China's Premier Wen Jiabao has reportedly admitted it will be difficult to keep CPI within that target.

In June, he said that fighting rising prices remained a priority and hoped to bring the level under five percent with "hard work".

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