Postal Service as a Backstop Helps 2,939 Villages in Central and Western China Achieve "Express Delivery into Villages"

　　On September 21, the State Post Bureau held a regular press conference to brief on progress in the pilot work of the postal backstop for "express delivery into villages" in rural areas of central and western China. As of the end of August, among 3,960 administrative villages in 17 pilot counties, 2,939 administrative villages had achieved "express delivery into villages" through the postal backstop, satisfactorily completing the target tasks set at the beginning of the year, and more and more villagers can send and receive parcels conveniently and quickly without leaving their villages.

　　The postal backstop for "express delivery into villages" is a foundational project for smoothing domestic circulation and building a new development pattern, a pragmatic measure to promote consumption fairness, and a vivid manifestation of the equalization of basic public services in the postal sector. In advancing the special pilot work of the postal backstop for "express delivery into villages," postal management departments at all levels have actively promoted the improvement of relevant systems and policies, supported postal branches in relevant provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in accelerating efforts to shore up weaknesses in rural service capacity in pilot counties; strengthened regulation in accordance with law, effectively maintained sound order in the rural express delivery market, protected the lawful rights and interests of the people, tightened the unified management responsibility of headquarters, and strengthened management of service areas; and enhanced coordination and collaboration with transportation, agriculture and rural affairs, supply and marketing, and other departments to reduce last-mile delivery costs in rural areas and improve service coverage.

　　The work related to the postal backstop for "express delivery into villages" still faces deep-seated issues such as sustainable development and deepening multi-party coordination. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, universal postal services will achieve substantive innovation on the basis of pilot practice, adhere to the original purpose of public services, consolidate basic network capacity, upgrade the service supply model, release the compound effectiveness of institutions, proactively embed themselves in multiple scenarios such as national governance, economic development, and people's livelihood security, and play an important supporting role in ensuring smooth government directives, economic circulation, serving people's livelihood, and grassroots governance.