Salary increases for public servants in China should be kept within reasonable limits and policymaking should conform to the law, said Meng Xuenong, chairman of the Social and Legal Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Meng, a standing committee member on the national committee of China's top political advisory body, made the remarks in an interview with China Daily on Monday in response to complaints from some government officials at the two sessions about their "low wages".

"What they should keep in their minds is that their wages should only be slightly higher than the average income for the country. It is impossible for them to earn big money," he said.

There has been heated public debate over whether or not public servants in China are underpaid and whether they deserve pay increases.

In response, Meng pointed out that some members of the public not satisfied with the huge numbers of public servants, not to mention the fact that some of the officials "have not done their jobs as expected".

A drastic rise in salaries for public servants may be rejected by the public and may give rise to inflation, said Meng.

Commenting on the fact that some public servants have not seen their incomes increased in the past 10 years, Meng suggested that wage rises should be "based on the law" regarding civil servants and approved by the legislative body.

In addition to ensuring the legitimacy of procedures, pay increases should also take into consideration "the condition of national economic development", Meng said.

"The public servants at the grassroots level should be prioritized (when considering income rises)."

The veteran legal affairs official suggested that public servants in general should "adjust expectations" on the issue of pay.

"A public servant should be dedicated to the job and committed to the values of public service. If you want to make a big fortune, you can (quit public service and) go into business or choose another path," he said.