"High shipping costs" and "no free shipping" have long been a source of discontent for officials and the public in Xizang.

What the people call for, the government responds to. In March 2025, Norbu Yangzom, a deputy to the National People's Congress and deputy director of the village committee of MedogVillage in MedogTown, MedogCounty, Nyingchi City, brought a proposal to the "two sessions" calling for coordinated efforts to resolve the issue of "no free shipping" for online purchases in Xizang.

This proposal, imbued with the essence of the grassroots, entered the decision-making process through democratic procedures, subsequently spurring the introduction of a series of relevant policies. "Free shipping to Xizang" is now becoming a reality, illustrating the robust vitality of whole-process people's democracy.

"In farming and pastoral areas, only postal service can deliver; other couriers require trips to the county seat for pickup, which is extremely inconvenient." "Delivery times are too long." "Shipping costs often run to dozens of yuan, and some products even list 999 yuan for shipping, effectively meaning they don't ship at all." During her visits and research in various villages in Medog, Norbu Yangzom meticulously recorded the concerns of grassroots farmers and herders in her notebook and, more importantly, in her heart.

Due to natural factors such as remote location and sparse population, compounded by social factors like relatively lagging economic development and inadequate logistics infrastructure, shipping costs in Xizang have long remained high. Updating logistics infrastructure and reducing logistics costs represent the common aspiration of all people in Xizang.

Reflecting the most genuine voices of the people and diligently addressing their urgent needs and concerns is a vital responsibility of NPC deputies. Norbu Yangzom compiled the feedback she gathered into a proposal urging the extension of courier services to remote farming and pastoral areas in Xizang, bringing the most authentic demands of grassroots communities in the border region to the national "two sessions."

After receiving the proposal, the NPC Standing Committee studied it and forwarded it to the State Post Bureau for handling.

Handling deputies' proposals is a process of solving problems, improving work, and promoting development. The State Post Bureau attached great importance to the significant role of "small courier services serving major public wellbeing," conducting extensive research and investigation based on the proposal, and consulting with the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration, and the Ministry of Commerce before formulating a response.

"The reply came back to me very quickly, indicating that relevant departments would take joint action to promote the high-quality development of the delivery and logistics industry in Xizang," Norbu Yangzom told reporters.

This has indeed proven true. Within just three months after the conclusion of the "two sessions," the first concrete action to address the issue was implemented.

On May 25, 2025, an on-site meeting on the construction of the delivery and logistics system in agricultural and pastoral areas across the region was convened. At this meeting, relevant departments and enterprises engaged in open and frank discussions, weighing not only economic costs but also political, public wellbeing, and popular support considerations, with the aim of "accelerating the establishment of an open, beneficial, intensive, shared, safe, efficient, and two-way flowdelivery and logistics system in farming and pastoral areas." This would unblock the "capillaries" of the economic cycle and help high-quality agricultural products from Xizang better integrate into the unified national market.

Soon after, Norbu Yangzom received encouraging news at a press conference held by the Information Office of the Xizang Autonomous Region People's Government: building upon the 28 practical projects for public wellbeing in 2025, an additional 10 practical projects would be implemented starting from August of that year. These included establishing a subsidy mechanism for benefiting farmers through parcel delivery, providing subsidies for the construction of the grassroots delivery and logistics system and for parcels sent and received by farmers and herders.

In November of that year, the "Several Measures of the Xizang Autonomous Region to Accelerate the Integrated Development of Passenger Transport, Cargo, and Postal Services in Rural Areas" were issued and implemented, further refining the institutional framework.

In February 2026, the work report of the Xizang Autonomous Region government explicitly stated the goal to "upgrade 60 county-level delivery and logistics centers and 4,000 village-level service stations, further expanding the coverage of 'Free Shipping to Xizang'."

"What surprised me most was that the content of my proposal was also incorporated into the autonomous region government work report," Norbu Yangzom said, feeling immensely encouraged.

The journey from "a single proposal" to "a package of policies" represents a vivid practice of whole-process people's democracy on the snow-covered plateau and powerfully demonstrates its robust vitality.

Delivery vehicles weaving through the villages of the snow-covered highlands carry the hopes of farmers and herders for a better life, forging closer connections between remote rural areas and the outside world.

By the end of 2025, the region had built a total of 1,324 postal and courier service outlets, upgraded 2,410 village-level comprehensive delivery and logistics service stations, and achieved 100% coverage of courier services in administrative villages.

"We will continue to accelerate the construction of the rural delivery and logistics system and promote its standardized operation, building it into a crucial public service infrastructure and a key engine for serving rural revitalization. This will ensure that people in farming and pastoral areas can enjoy more convenient and affordable online shopping experiences," said Su Yinghu, Deputy General Manager of the Marketing Department of China Post Group's Xizang Branch.

Reporters: Liu Wentao, Zhang Lili, Liu Weitao, Zhang Shanghua

Translator: Dan Zhen, Liu Fang

Review: Phurbu Tsering, Drakpa Wangchen