Chinese leader gets 62 percent salary raise to $22,300, part of increases for public employees

In this Jan. 7, 2015 photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping walks during a welcome ceremony for Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. Xi's base salary is rising from about $13,600 to $22,300 a year under a recent general pay increase for public employees, state media reported Tuesday, Jan. 20. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (The Associated Press)

BEIJING – State media say Chinese President Xi Jinping's base salary is rising from about $13,600 to $22,300 a year under a recent general pay increase for public employees.

The reports gave Chinese citizens a rare glimpse into how much their leaders make, though it was far from the whole picture because it excludes extra allowances and other perquisites of power. And, officials later declined to confirm even the base salary figures.

The China Daily on Tuesday said the base salaries of Xi and six other members of the Communist Party Standing Committee would rise 62 percent.

It said the pay of lowest-ranking officials would double to $2,580 per year, that these were the first raises since 2006, and that many lower-level civil servants have been quitting because of low pay.