One Month Before Chinese New Year, Warning Issued: "No Delivery" of Illegal Fireworks Shipments

Chinese Authorities Summon Top 3 Courier Companies to Emphasize 'Regulation Compliance'

Chinese authorities announced that they will strictly crack down on the illegal delivery of firecrackers and fireworks ahead of the Spring Festival (Chunje, the Chinese Lunar New Year).

On the 4th, the Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua reported that the authorities summoned courier companies and instructed them to strengthen inspections.

(This photo is not directly related to the article) [Photo source=Pixabay]

Since the 1990s, Chinese authorities have regulated the use of firecrackers due to air pollution and fire hazards, but residents still enjoy fireworks during the Spring Festival. Firecracker detonations continue for nearly a month around the Spring Festival in February.

The China National Postal Administration, Ministry of Emergency Management, and Ministry of Public Security recently summoned representatives from China's three major courier companies?JD Logistics, Yuantong, and Yunda?for a "Weitan" (約談, scheduled interview) to strictly comply with courier safety management regulations.

Weitan is a form of "oral warning" where Chinese authorities call in companies, institutions, or individuals to point out mistakes, demand corrections, or communicate requirements.

Xinhua reported, "Recent investigations by authorities found that these companies delivered explosive and highly flammable items such as firecrackers and fireworks, which are prohibited in courier shipments."

The authorities demanded that the three major courier companies "strengthen inspections of ordered delivery items and employee training to strictly prevent explosive materials from entering delivery channels," and "immediately report to relevant authorities and cooperate with investigations if flammable substances are found among delivery items."

Chinese Lunar New Year Fireworks Celebration
Photo by Yonhap News

Previously, the large-scale use of firecrackers during the Chinese Spring Festival was criticized for causing consecutive large fires and worsening air pollution.

In particular, over the past four years, crackdowns were intensified under the pretext of COVID-19 prevention, which led to strong public backlash. Ultimately, ahead of the upcoming Spring Festival in February, the National People's Congress (NPC), equivalent to our National Assembly, stated that a complete ban on firecrackers and fireworks by local governments is illegal.

During last Spring Festival, even partial allowances in some regions caused severe air pollution in 60 major cities. This was found to have an impact on South Korea as well.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science reported that during the 2017 Spring Festival, the domestic fine dust concentration surged to a "bad" level, with potassium levels seven times higher than usual.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.