SHANGHAI — China's average consumer price index (CPI) growth for the year 2021 is expected to stay below 2 percent, Yi Gang, governor of the country's central bank, said on June 10.

Judging from various factors, the country's CPI remained low in the first couple of months but will likely trend higher, Yi said at the 13th Lujiazui Forum in Shanghai.

Considering that China's economy is operating within a reasonable range and nears the potential output level, the price trend is under control, Yi said, adding that the central bank will continue to implement a normal monetary policy to ensure stability.

China's CPI rose 1.3 percent year-on-year in May, while average CPI in the first five months of the year went up 0.4 percent from the same period last year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on June 9.

The country has set its consumer inflation target at around 3 percent for the year 2021, according to this year's government work report.