This Day, That Year

An item from Dec 6, 1986, in China Daily highlighted an express mail service being established in 45 cities in China and 34 countries. The service could deliver a letter from China to a recipient in the United States within three days.

Backed by an e-commerce boom, the country’s global courier networks have been growing rapidly to take on rivals.

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

Editor’s note:

In 2016, STO Express became the first major Chinese delivery company to set up its own dedicated fleet of planes and trucks for deliveries across Europe.

With its own transport, the company managed to cut its fees to just half of those offered by global players such as FedEx and UPS.

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 in the world.

The total volume of the country’s express delivery industry has been the largest in the world for four consecutive years, and it has contributed 40 percent of the growth in the global express delivery business, according to the State Post Bureau. Last year, more than 40 billion packages were delivered nationwide, a year-on-year rise of 28 percent, the bureau said.

There are now more than 21,000 express delivery enterprises and more than 2 million delivery personnel in China.

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

The State Post Bureau recently announced specific goals to make the courier sector greener.

By 2020, half of external packages should be degradable, 90 percent of bills should be electronic, and packing material consumed for each parcel cut by 10 percent, the bureau said in a document.

Taped and woven bags will be gradually replaced.