At the invitation of Bishar Abdirahman Hussein, Director General of the International Bureau of UPU, Liu Aili, Chairman of China Post Group, attends the General Assembly of the EMS Cooperative in Switzerland on March 28, and has delivered a keynote speech entitled Work Together to Achieve Win-win Cooperation.

In his speech, Liu Aili pointed out that this year marks the 20^th anniversary of the EMS Cooperative. Ever since the founding of the EMS Cooperative in 1999, China Post has been a member of the Board and organized four Board meetings. It has participated actively in the formulation of the regulations and development plans of EMS. In the past 20 years, China Post's international EMS business volume has increased by 7 times, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 10%. Relying on the UPU's multilateral cooperation system and complying with the rapid development of the cross-border e-commerce market, China Post pays special attention to product innovation, technological innovation and capacity building, hence meeting the needs of cross-border e-commerce at different delivery levels and becoming the preferred logistics channel for cross-border e-commerce players in China. In 2018, China Post's international business volume reached 1.17 billion items, and over 1/3 of the light and small packets of cross-border e-commerce in China were sent abroad through China Post.

Liu stressed that China Post has always adhered to the notion of cooperation and win-win development, and hopes to work together with the EMS Cooperative and Posts of other countries to jointly promote the coordinated and sustainable development of the postal industry. At the historic moment of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of EMS, Liu Aili proposed three initiatives:

First, business cooperation should be deepened. Focusing on cross-border e-commerce and being market-oriented and customer-centered, EMS Cooperative members should jointly develop new products to satisfy the needs of the cross-border e-commerce market.

Second, the quality of service should be further improved. Posts should work hard to improve quality in the aspects of processing, transportation and delivery, establishing measurable end-to-end quality standards, and striving to provide customers with traceable, time-stable EMS services in the full range. To answer the requirements of the Customs, Posts should push forward the application of EDI in customs clearance.

Third, the stability of the UPU’s multilateral system should be maintained. Under current situation, all Posts should continue to maintain the stability of this system to ensure the stable development of the global postal market.

Liu Aili, together with Bishar Abdirahman Hussein, Director-General of the UPU’s International Bureau, and Akio Miyaji, former chairman of the EMS Cooperative Board, delivered speeches respectively at the event commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the EMS Cooperative. Liu Aili stressed that the booming of cross-border e-commerce brings new challenges and development opportunities to EMS. How to seize the opportunities to win the competition requires the common wisdom and efforts of the postal operators worldwide.

Liu Aili's speech and message received wide and enthusiastic responses from postal delegates of other countries. They all expressed their strong will and demand for in-depth cooperation with China Post.

During the assembly, Liu Aili met with Bishar Abdirahman Hussein, Director-General, and Pascal Clivaz, Deputy Director-General of the UPU’s International Bureau. Liu Aili pointed out that China Post plays an active role in the UPU affairs, and resolutely safeguards the UPU's multilateral framework system. It firmly opposes the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the UPU. Liu expressed that China Post is willing to push ahead with the reform of terminal dues collaboratively. He also pointed out that development must comply with the laws of the market, and changes needs to be made step by step rather than overnight. Hussein thanks China Post for its consistent support to the UPU. He attaches great importance to the status of China Post in the UPU, as well as its role and influence in the UPU affairs. He hopes that China Post may continue to play a positive role in UPU’s terminal dues reforming as well as in maintaining the multilateral framework for cooperation. He also hopes that China Post may work with other Posts and actively participate in the development and service of the African e-commerce market. He said, with 1.2 billion people in Africa, the market potential there is huge.

Liu Aili also held in-depth talks with Philippe Wahl, Chairman of La Poste (France). Liu Aili stated that in recent years, La Poste has made remarkable achievements in multi-channel, diversified and multi-brand operation. In particular, La Poste expands its European and world markets as well as its business-channel services through acquisitions by DPD Group. La Poste provides all-round global cross-border logistics services through LENTON company, focuses on cross-border light and small packets services through Asendia company and take exclusively urban delivery market through green logistics service.

In order to adapt to the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce, China Post is accelerating the construction of overseas warehouses and using China-Europe freight trains to deliver cross-border e-commerce items. Liu Aili stressed that China Post still has weaknesses in cross-border delivery services and business channels, so it intends to look for partners in Europe. He insisted that the future development of EMS is not a solo game, but a win-win cooperation. Besides, China and France being located at the two ends of the China-Europe freight railway, business development of the two Posts is highly complementary. DPD Group is developing rapidly in China, while China Post has large distribution centers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and is expected to carry out in-depth business cooperation with La Poste. Philippe Wahl said that Sino-French cooperation has a long history, and La Poste expects further deepened cooperation with China Post in the common concerns, such as the reform of terminal dues, the implementation of multilateral and bilateral services as well as the green development of postal services, thereby achieving win-win outcomes.

Bishar Abdirahman Hussein, Director-General of the UPU’s International Bureau, Pascal Clivaz, Deputy Director-General of the UPU’s International Bureau, Patrick Richon, Chairman of the EMS Cooperative Board, as well as over 100 senior postal leaders and executives from the UPU member countries participated in the assembly and other commemorative events.

Chairman Liu Aili delivers a keynote speech at the General Assembly of the EMS Cooperative of UPU

Chairman Liu Aili participates in discussions during the Assembly

Chairman Liu Aili meets with Philippe Wahl, Chairman of La Poste (France)