China's courier industry hits new milestone in parcel processing in 2025

China's express delivery industry has reached a new milestone in parcel processing so far this year, with the total number of parcels handled by October 11 surpassing 150 billion -- meeting the threshold 37 days earlier than in 2023.

The achievement marks the latest leap forward in business operation by the world's largest postal and courier network, underscoring China's rapid transformation from a manpower-driven to a technology-driven logistics powerhouse.

Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China has built the world's largest postal and express delivery network, reflecting the country's continued progress in logistics infrastructure and digital innovation, according to the State Post Bureau.

From processing over 10 billion parcels in 2014 -- when China became the world's leading courier market -- to breaking the 100 billion mark in 2021, each milestone has illustrated what observers call "the China speed" in the global logistics industry.

In one intelligent logistics hub in Langfang, north China's Hebei Province, automation runs through every stage of operation -- from inbound unloading to sorting and outbound shipment.

The facility can handle up to 150,000 parcels per hour, with a daily processing capacity reaching 5 million items, more than 40 percent higher than traditional models.

The core of the system is a smart sorting machine that operates at speeds of up to 2.5 meters per second and that can process 80,000 parcels an hour with an accuracy rate of 99.9 percent.

Each parcel arriving at the transfer center can be redirected to its next destination in as little as five minutes, ensuring efficient last-mile delivery to community courier outlets.

Nationwide, over 1,300 large-scale automated parcel handling centers like this have been established.

Behind the rate of 5,700 parcels generated every second lies China's ongoing shift from labor-intensive to technology-driven logistics, further solidifying its role as a key engine of global e-commerce and trade facilitation.

China's courier industry hits new milestone in parcel processing in 2025

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday chaired a State Council executive meeting which mulled measures to boost consumption by accelerating the formation of new growth points in service consumption.

The meeting called for continued efforts to boost consumption by fully leveraging the integrated effects of different policies, linking improvement in people's wellbeing to consumption growth, and giving full play to the fundamental role of consumption in driving economic growth.

The meeting emphasized the importance of accelerating the cultivation of new growth points in service consumption, supporting new business forms, models, and scenarios, and increasing the supply of high-quality services.

Efforts should be made to improve the long-term mechanism for promoting consumption by formulating and implementing plans aimed at expanding consumption during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), increasing the income of urban and rural residents, speeding up the removal of unreasonable restrictive measures for consumption, and implementing the paid leave system. These measures are intended to boost people's consumption capacity and willingness to spend, promote the upgrading of consumption and industrial structures, and accelerate the building of a strong domestic market.

The meeting also made arrangements for actions to clear overdue payments to enterprises and ensure the issue of wage arrears for migrant workers is properly addressed. The meeting also deliberated and adopted a draft decision of the State Council on revising and abolishing some administrative regulations.

Chinese premier chairs meeting on promoting service consumption