This Day, That Year

Editor’s Note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

In the 1990s, bike express mail services were popular in Beijing as seen in the photo on the right. Clients could send parcels anywhere in the city within a couple of hours.

It marked the early stage of the courier sector.

Backed by an e-commerce boom, China’s courier services have grown steadily in recent years.

Last year, the number of packages delivered rose by more than 28 percent yearon-year to 40 billion, 33 times the number in 2007, according to the State Post Bureau of China. The number is expected to reach 49 billion this year.

The express delivery industry generated about 500 billion yuan ($79 billion) in revenue last year.

Meanwhile, China’s global courier networks have been growing rapidly to take on rivals.

Last year, courier company SF Express announced plans to team up with US delivery giant UPS. The new partnership means it can now reach almost every country.

However, the sector has led to packaging waste, posing a threat to the environment.

The State Post Bureau last year announced specific goals to make the courier sector greener. By 2020, half of external packages should be degradable.

A newly revised national standard was issued for packing materials used in the express delivery industry.

MARCH 20-21