China's postal industry maintained strong growth in the first four months of 2025, with parcel volumes reaching 67.4 billion, an 18.3 percent increase year-on-year, according to official data released on Friday.
Of this total, express delivery firms handled 61.45 billion parcels, a sharp 20.9 percent surge compared to the same period last year, as reported by the State Post Bureau.
The expansion was fueled by courier services' deeper integration into key sectors like agriculture, fresh produce, flowers, pharmaceuticals, and auto parts.
By actively supporting modern agriculture and advanced manufacturing, these firms have addressed diverse consumer delivery needs, playing a critical role in the sector's steady growth.
In terms of innovation and capacity, courier companies have accelerated the deployment of unmanned delivery vehicles and drones across many parts of the country. They have also ramped up efforts to establish overseas warehouses and expand their global logistics footprint.
From January to April, cross-border express delivery services—including those to China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the Macao SAR and the Taiwan region—handled a total of 1.35 billion parcels, marking a 25.4 percent year-on-year increase.
China's postal industry sees robust growth in delivery volume in Jan-April period
China's latest medical science and technology is drawing attention for its role in reshaping patient care from diagnosis to surgery and to rehabilitation at the ongoing third phase of the 139th China Import and Export Fair, or Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.
The five-day segment of the world's largest trade fair opened on Friday, showcasing frontier achievements in fields such as smart healthcare, functional textiles, and green materials, with an exhibition area of 515,000 square meters and 25,000 booths. Walking through the exhibition, visitors see that medical innovation is no longer confined to technical parameters. It is being designed to accompany patients through every stage of treatment.
In the exhibition hall, surgical robots allow doctors to operate with clear 3D vision and flexible wrist-like instruments, while requiring only minimal network support.
According to exhibitors, in some cases, a simple mobile connection is enough to keep the system running. This lowers deployment thresholds and makes advanced surgery more accessible.
Earlier this year, one such robot enabled a doctor in Chengdu, capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, to complete a gastric surgery for a patient in Brazil, spanning half the globe.
High-tech rehabilitation devices are emerging among the most engaging exhibits.
Mobile robots capable of navigating stairs and slopes, along with brain-machine interface exoskeletons that help stroke patients regain mobility, show how innovation is being applied to everyday needs.
These practical devices have attracted strong interest from international buyers, especially those from the United States, Europe and Mexico.
Artificial intelligence is extending its role in medical imaging.
In the exhibition, large-scale models on display can analyze X-rays and CT scans to detect conditions ranging from kidney stones to cardiovascular blockages.
Exhibitors say the technology can help transfer the expertise of senior doctors from top-tier hospitals to community clinics, helping improve access to quality healthcare nationwide.
Since June last year, the system has already been used in multiple hospitals, which can help find problems in 32 human organs and produce 92 auxiliary models to support doctors in screening and diagnosis, according to exhibitors.
Established in 1957, the Canton Fair is held twice a year in Guangzhou. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trade events in China, and has been hailed as the barometer of the country's foreign trade.
The first phase of the 139th edition of the Canton Fair ran from April 15 to 19, followed by the second phase from April 23 to 27.
Smart healthcare highlights innovation at Canton Fair
