China's average daily express shipment volume to date has exceeded 200 million pieces, returning to the normal operational level before the COVID-19 outbreak, the State Post Bureau announced on Saturday.

Online retail sales of physical goods currently account for one-fifth of the total retail sales of the country's consumer goods, said Bian Zuodong, deputy director-general of the bureau's department of market supervision.

For the next step, the government will encourage China's e-commerce and logistics service providers to expand three sectors - rural, manufacturing and international markets to further stimulate domestic consumption, facilitate production resumption and exports, he said.

The government will continue to support express delivery and technology companies to develop smart postal lockers, drones, driverless vehicles and fully-automated warehouses to boost the express industry's work efficiency and upgrade its players' digital technologies, Bian added.