FedEx Express plane (Photo/Chinanews.com)

China announced Saturday its investigation into FedEx’s “wrongful delivery of packages”, which has allegedly undermined the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese clients and violated laws and regulations governing the express industry in China.

FedEx is a world-renowned delivery service giant with the tagline of “The World on Time”. However, the company recently diverted two packages sent by Huawei to the United States and detained a further two packages. The ongoing investigation will tell whether they were “misrouted accidentally” or “intercepted”. No one is beyond the rule of law in China. Launching an investigation is not only China’s responsibility and obligation to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens and enterprises but shows a responsible attitude towards foreign companies operating in China.

The Postal Law of China protects the freedom of correspondence. No postal enterprise shall without permission open, conceal or transfer postal packages. As a courier company that has operated in China for decades, FedEx is supposed to abide by local laws and regulations. FedEx failed to deliver express packages to designated addresses on multiple occasions, severely damaging clients’ legitimate rights and interests. Its behavior not only brought disgrace onto itself, but also violated China’s laws and regulations. FedEx has the obligation to cooperate with the Chinese investigation. 

With increasing international exchanges, infringements of users’ legitimate rights and interests occur in every country. According to international law, it is the responsibility of a sovereign state to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens and enterprises. China and the United States are both members of the Universal Postal Union, so the international agreements and standards governing international postal parcels are equally binding in both countries. FedEx diverted the packages to the US without authorization before returning them to the sender, violating not only Chinese laws, but also relevant international treaties. Based on Huawei’s accusation, the Chinese government has launched an investigation into FedEx, which is not only in line with Chinese laws, but also in full compliance with international rules.

The rule of law serves as a guiding principle of China. Any illegal act committed in China will be subject to penalties according to Chinese law with no exception. We believe that FedEx, as a multinational company with a global reputation for “high-quality delivery services”, will fully cooperate with the investigation and provide relevant evidence.

China has repeatedly promised to open wider and to work with other countries towards the same goals. This does not mean that China has no principles. All people are equal under the rule of law. From drafting an “unreliable entity list” of foreign companies to investigating FedEx for “wrongful delivery of packages”, China is showing its resolute position – any foreign enterprise, organization or individual that fails to abide by Chinese laws and regulations will be punished in accordance with the law. FedEx, no one can help you if you break the law.