Development and Prospect of China Post

Liu Liqing
Postmaster General of State Post Bureau, China

There is a long history of China Post, with over 3,000 years of national post, over 500 years of private post and more than 100 years of contemporary national post. As a key national communication organization and basic industrial department of the modern society, post plays an important role in assurance of the smooth transmission of military and government instructions, maintenance of the unity of the nation and nationalities, promotion of the prosperity of economy, culture and science, as well as the progress of the society. Since the foundation of the People's Republic of China, the government has attached importance to the Post. The Post department made full use of the advantages of "Unity of Post and Telecommunications" and "Unity of Post and Newspapers & Periodicals Service", restoring and developing national post network and post offices, promoting wide-range services through hard work and self-reliance, which has promoted the steady and healthy development of China Post. Despite the interruptions and setbacks during the development, China Post has ensured the message-delivery of all departments of our party, government and national economy as well as people's requirements by relying on the socialist system and the diligence and hard work of our post workers.

Since 1978, the 3rd Plenary Meeting of 11th Session of Communist Party of China, reform and open up policy has been implemented in China, which has provided strong promotion and wide service market for the development of the post. By grasping this historical opportunity, China Post has made full use of its potentiality, strengthened its management, deepened its reform and increased its investment to construct post network, reconstructed and developed post offices in urban and rural areas, widely carried out mail centers system, developed post network, improved delivery efficiency, promoted mechanization and automation of delivery, carrying, loading/unloading. At the same time, constructing material delivery network by use of high technology of information industry, China Post vigorously promotes the construction of the integrated computer network with "Green Card" Project, EMS inquiry, newspaper issue and delivery control as key projects, and widely . uses computers in the production, management and service. China Post developed new services of postal savings, EMS, philately, commercial mail, email, protocol service and all kinds of agent services as well as traditional services to meet the new requirements of market and life.

The growth rate of China Post has been exceeding that of national economy for over 10 years and has adapted to the requirements of economic development and reform. A modem post and communication network between urban and rural areas covering the whole nation and unifying the world with the capital as the center has been formed after 20 year's of development. The post network has become an important channel for information, merchandise and capital with qualitative leaping of network scale, technical level and service quality. The traditional post is being transformed to modern post.

Under the Promotion of deepening reform policy, China Post has made a series of reform to its operation and management system. Post and telecommunications were divided and China State Post Bureau was established in 1998. The establishment of independent operation management system of China Post is in line with the reform and development trend of world post, accords with the actual situation of our post development, and benefits the production, management and service according to the economic laws of post. China Post is now in the critical moment of cross-century development, facing the great change of situation with rare opportunity as well as stern challenge. To meet the requirements of the new situation and market competition, China Post will further enforce its development and reform. Post network in the 21st century will be one with rational layout, advanced technologies, scientific management and rapid delivery. In one or two decades, China Post will be equipped modern post network with rapid delivery, mechanized and automated operation, electronic operation of business, informational management, and diversified services. The overall level of the post will attain the advanced level in the world. To realize this development goal, the basic idea is to aim at service, meet the diversified, multi-level demands of the society, focus on operation to promote services, take management as measures to improve network operation efficiency, establish modern post management system with reform as motivation, improve network integratability on the basis of development, and foster qualified personnel. As long as we acquaint ourselves with current situation, grasp the opportunity, firm our faith and resolution, unity and cooperate to give full play of the functions and advantages of post network, work hard for the prosperity of our country, carry forward our good tradition of hard work, be frugal, be Practical and realistic, carry on the working style of high quality and high efficiency, we'll be able to realize the short-term and long-term goals of post development. China Post is devoted to the development of all industries in China and the prosperity of world post in the new century.