Originally Posted by jiejie

Sending FROM China has always been more reliable, due to the fact that outgoing international parcels must be kept open for Customs to inspect, then once approved are sealed up, forms filled out, money paid, and that's that. Except for dealing with Customs in your home country. Sending TO China involves the risk of Chinese Customs deciding they don't like what's in your parcel. Or...they like it so much they decide the contents would be better off staying with them. Sometimes Customs isn't the problem, but the local post office charged with delivery for that district. Customs regulations and limits changed for the more restrictive in August 2010 due to the number of Chinese ordering stuff from overseas (cheaper, tax avoidance) and having it sent to the mainland.

Parcels are not normally delivered to the door by China Post; normally a note is put in the mailbox and then the recipient has to go to a specific Post Office within a specific time frame to pick it up (bail it out). So anything using the US (or other country's) official postal system will connect this way. Parcels sent by DHL or FedEx or whatever will stay with that courier all the way including Customs clearance, no handoff to China Post.

In over 10 years of living in China, the only time I have ever had anything sent to me was important documents, by FedEx, and to my business address. Everything else, I either find a substitute, do without, wait for my next trip home (or to HK or Bangkok dep on item), or have a trusted person coming to China carry it back.