China will improve the delivery service system in rural areas to facilitate the local construction of the circulation system, promote employment and entrepreneurship, better meet the demands of rural production, life and consumption upgrading, and boost comprehensive rural revitalization, according to a circular issued by the State Council on Aug 20.
Delivery logistics in rural areas is of great significance, as it is one of the channels for sending rural products to cities and consumer goods to rural areas. It also has big meaning for satisfying the production and living needs of rural people, releasing the potential of rural consumption, and boosting rural revitalization.
However, there are still some outstanding problems in rural delivery, such as inadequate end service capacity, poor sustainability and weak infrastructure, according to the circular.
It said that by 2025, a rural delivery logistics system that is open, in the benefit of the people, intensive, resource-sharing, secure, efficient, and smooth should be formed.
To achieve that goal, the circular urged innovating operating models in town-level postal stations, which can undertake all types of public services, improving the basic public service capacity of rural postal services.
Rural delivery logistics resources should be coordinated, and logistics platforms such as postal, express delivery, transportation, supply and marketing, and trade should be encouraged to share the end distribution networks to reduce the cost of rural end delivery.
Enterprises are also encouraged to enhance information service in their rural delivery logistics system through data sharing and information interconnection.
By the end of June 2022, 100 rural e-commerce express collaborative development demonstration zones will be established across the country, enhancing delivery logistics’ customized service capacity to rural e-commerce, the circular said.
The circular also stressed guiding and supporting postal express enterprises to build cold chain storage facilities relying on local express logistics parks, increase cold chain transport vehicles, enhance end cold chain distribution capacity, and establish a cold chain delivery logistics system, gradually covering all links of production and circulation.
In rural areas of east and central China, the decisive role of market forces in resource allocation will be better leveraged, and enterprises will be guided to provide better delivery services in rural areas through setting up outlets in villages and cooperating with other enterprises.
In rural areas of west China, government should lead enterprises to take advantage of the postal and transportation infrastructure, giving full play to the fundamental role of postal services in rural end delivery logistics.
Rural delivery logistics enterprises will be encouraged to take the initiative in cooperating with family farms, farmer cooperatives and leading enterprises in agricultural industrialization, providing specialized supply chain delivery services for agricultural products.
Also by the end of June 2022, 300 modern agricultural demonstration projects for express delivery services will be built to help sell local agricultural products and consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation.
Local governments should integrate the postal, delivery, supply and marketing, e-commerce outlets and other resources in the village, and make use of existing public facilities to build a village-level comprehensive service station for delivery logistics.
Headquarters of express delivery enterprises will be guided to increase investment in rural delivery networks, and regulate the management of rural delivery outlets, to ensure stable operation of the outlets.
Registration procedures for rural express delivery end outlets should be simplified, and unreasonable and unnecessary restrictions should be removed to encourage the development of rural express end service.
E-commerce enterprises, delivery enterprises and private capital will be encouraged to participate in the construction of village-level delivery logistics service stations, to help rural laborers find jobs and start businesses.
Oversight on delivery logistics services will be strengthened, to promote fair competition and protect people's lawful rights and interests.
