China's express delivery volume hits 50 billion so far this year

China

China's express delivery volume hits 50 billion so far this year

2025-04-21 11:14 Last Updated At：04-22 00:57

China's express delivery volume has surpassed 50 billion parcels this year, reaching the milestone 18 days earlier than in 2024, according to data from the State Post Bureau

The figure translates to an average of 35 packages per person so far. On a daily basis, 500 million parcels are in transit across China, with a delivery rate of over 5,700 per second.

Industry experts attribute the surge to continued growth in online shopping, improved delivery infrastructure, and advancements in smart logistics. The pace shows no signs of slowing, positioning China as a global leader in parcel delivery and supply chain efficiency.

Driving this growth is a national push to expand the three-tier logistics system linking counties, towns, and villages.

In Yangchang Town, Nayong County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, batik artist Yang Li and her team of embroiderers of Miao ethnic group are racing to fulfill orders for their handcrafted ethnic garments.

Thanks to booming online sales, Yang’s product line has expanded to include shoes, handbags, and fans, with 300,000 orders so far this year, up 30 percent from last year, reaching customers as far as Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces.

Yet success comes with challenges. The intricately pleated skirts and sashes are entirely handmade and prone to damage during transportation.

"Our skirts and waist wraps are folded by hand, so packaging is demanding. They can’t be can't be squashed. We’ve had instances where items were damaged in transit," said Yang, manager of an ethnic batik and embroidery factory.

To address this, local government agencies and village logistics hubs have stepped in, providing customized packaging materials tailored to different product types, improving delivery speed, and enhancing after-sales services.

These measures aim to help unique ethnic goods make their way out of the mountains and into the mainstream market.

Today, China boasts the largest postal and courier network in the world.

A total of 346,000 village-level logistics service stations now handle over 100 million rural parcels daily.

"China’s consumer market is diversifying and upgrading constantly, which is driving the expansion of the courier industry. The sector is constantly extending its service network, innovating services, and enhancing quality to further meet diversified consumer demands," said Liu Jiang, director of the Strategic Planning Research Department with State Post Bureau's Development Research Center.

Shenzhou-21 astronauts complete 3rd series of extravehicular activities

The Shenzhou-21 crew aboard China's orbiting Tiangong space station completed their mission's third series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The astronaut trio -- Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang -- worked for roughly five and a half hours and completed their EVAs at 01:36 (Beijing Time), assisted by the space station's robotic arm and a team on Earth.

The trio completed the installation of a space debris protection device for the space station, and extravehicular equipment and facility inspections, among other tasks. Zhang Lu, the commander of the Shenzhou-21 mission, and Wu Fei conducted the spacewalk and returned to the Wentian lab module safely, according to the CMSA.

Zhang Lu has so far carried out seven EVAs, making him one of the Chinese astronauts with the most spacewalks to date.

Since completing their second series of EVAs on March 16, the Shenzhou-21 astronauts have steadily advanced experiments in areas such as space life sciences, human research, and microgravity physical science. They have carries out in-orbit environmental monitoring, equipment inspection and maintenance, and supply management. The crew has also completed a full-system pressure emergency drill, emergency life-support training, and preparations for extravehicular activities.

The three astronauts have been in orbit for more than five months and remain in good working and living condition.

To further validate technologies related to long-term human habitation in orbit and to maximize the comprehensive benefits of using the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft as an emergency launch vehicle to resupply the space station, it has been decided, after careful evaluation and assessment, that the crew's stay in orbit will be extended by approximately one month.

During the upcoming phase of their space journey, the crew will continue to conduct scientific experiments and technical tests, and will also celebrate the Space Day of China, which is marked annually on April 24, and the International Workers' Day on May 1 while in orbit.