"I just spoke face to face with President Xi!" Right after the meeting, a delivery rider video-called his family. He could barely contain his excitement. 

Ahead of the Spring Festival, President Xi Jinping visited a community cafeteria in Beijing, where several delivery workers were taking a short break. He asked where they were from, how long they had worked in the city, and how life was going.

"I feel a real sense of belonging," one courier said. "His recognition gives me motivation."

Xi noted that the smooth operation of a city depends on delivery and courier workers and called for stronger support for people in new forms of employment.

China now has over 80 million workers in flexible and platform-based jobs. In 2025 alone, the country's express delivery volume surpassed 180 billion parcels — reflecting the scale of the digital economy they power.