The State Council said the government also plans more active policies to boost employment and it will press for a "reasonable" rise in wages for low-income workers.
Some press speculation has already posited that the change is being made to boost economic activity by reassuring the public and markets that low rates will prevail for a long time.
For the last five months or so Heinz's second largest shareholder has been engaged in a very public and occasionally venomous battle to press the food company to streamline itself, invest in marketing and boost shareholder returns.