China: China extends express delivery services to remote rural communities.

Shotlist FILE: China - Date Unknown 1. Various of deliveryman sending packages, automatic delivery vehicle 2. Various of trucks loaded with packages 3. Various of packages on conveyor belts 4. Various of trucks loaded with packages 5. Various of deliveryman driving, sending packages 6. Sign of China Post 7. Various of packages on conveyor belts 8. Automatic delivery vehicle 9. Various of trucks, automatic delivery vehicle 10. Various of packages on shelves, conveyor belts 11. Various of farmers carrying boxes of vegetables onto truck Storyline China has been extending express delivery services to remote rural communities in its central and western regions. Nearly 3,000 remote villages have gained express delivery access via the country's postal network since this January after the State Post Bureau and China Post Group launched a pilot program aimed at bridging the "last-mile" delivery gap in rural areas where private courier services are often unavailable or economically unviable. As of the end of August, 2,939 villages across the 17 pilot counties had gained express delivery access through the postal network's "backstop" service, accounting for the majority of the 3,960 villages included in the program, according to the State Post Bureau on Monday. To support the program, China Post Group formulated tailored plans for each county and allocated 210 million yuan (about 31.4 million U.S. dollars) in investment, including over 21 million yuan in special construction funds for the pilot counties. The motorization rate of rural mail delivery has surged from 62 percent to 97 percent. More and more villagers can now receive parcels conveniently without even stepping out of their villages as the program proceeds. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]