By love-89.com During a press conference held on October 17, 2023, in Beijing, Lin Hu, spokesperson for the State Post Bureau of China and Director of the Market Regulation Division, shared insights into the significant progress made in rural logistics since the launch of the “Express Delivery to Rural Areas” initiative in 2014. He highlighted that the rural delivery logistics system has evolved from nothing to a well-established framework over the past decade, resulting in a marked increase in service accessibility.
Lin reported that by the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), the coverage rate of express delivery points in towns and villages reached 98%. The country has achieved nearly universal access to distribution centers at the county level and delivery points at the township level. He noted that since the initiation of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), significant advancements have been made in developing a rural delivery logistics system characterized by openness, efficiency, and dual-directional communication.
According to data from the 2024 census on delivery services in villages, over 337,800 multi-functional rural logistics service stations have been established nationwide, effectively extending the “last mile” of rural delivery services. The integration of “delivery + e-commerce + specialty agricultural products + farmers (cooperatives)” has gained traction, with 143 hallmark projects in modern agriculture handling over ten million parcels annually in 2023.
However, Lin acknowledged that while China’s express delivery industry has entered a new phase, achieving an annual volume exceeding one trillion parcels and revenues surpassing one trillion yuan, challenges remain in rural areas where the delivery network is still underdeveloped and service capabilities are insufficient.
To address these shortcomings, Lin outlined a series of systemic measures the State Post Bureau plans to implement. This includes enhancing service station infrastructure, improving delivery capabilities, strengthening quality supervision in rural services, fostering collaboration among enterprises, and streamlining channels for agricultural product distribution. These initiatives are aimed at accelerating the development of a comprehensive delivery logistics system across county, township, and village levels.