BEIJING — The total number of express parcels processed in China surged to more than 70 million on Dec 12, as Chinese customers scrambled for online bargains.

Branches of China Post and various express parcel firms in China have processed a combined 70.51 million express packages, an increase of more than 40 percent from the same day the previous year, figures from the State Post Bureau revealed on Dec 13.

The figure is also more than twice the daily average of 33.09 million registered so far this year, said the bureau.

Chinese e-commerce firms in recent years have promoted Dec 12, or “double 12,” as an online shopping event, much like Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving in the United States. Nov 11, or “Singles’ Day,” has become China’s busiest online shopping day.