Don't carry things for strangers across borders, and don't receive packages of unknown origin
- Top value
- Evidence B
- Keeps you free
- Free
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
The advice from the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部领事司) to citizens traveling abroad is: don't carry luggage or items for other people, especially contraband or things you don't know about. Every country bans drugs from entering. If the luggage is in your hands, you are the one who has to answer questions and make declarations at customs. Receiving packages for others within China is the same, especially when you are asked to pay first and be refunded later.
- Cost
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Free. Just say no.
- What you get
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The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises citizens going abroad to "be sure to avoid carrying luggage or items for others, especially contraband or items you don't know about." The same passage states that "all countries prohibit the entry of drugs, products of protected animals and plants, and the like," and asks you to "truthfully declare restricted items and the amount of cash as required" and to "answer truthfully the questions of customs, immigration and other staff." If you carry something for someone else and can't say what is inside, you can't make a truthful declaration. It is the same within China. A 2025 risk notice from the Hubei Provincial Post Administration (湖北省邮政管理局) says that among the main forms of fraud using express delivery is "receiving high-priced items on behalf of others," and states that "anyone who, in the name of express-delivery 'order boosting' or 'doing tasks,' asks you to advance funds is committing fraud"
- Notes
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The official notice pages of the General Administration of Customs (海关总署) and the Ministry of Public Security on this would not open, so this item cites only the Consular Department's page. The original also gives only a principle and no legal provision, so it is graded B. Be just as careful about carrying medicine abroad for someone else; see §21.12 (taking medicine abroad).
- Evidence grade
- B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.
- Sources
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- Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2026). What Advice Is There for Chinese Citizens Preparing to Go Abroad? [in Chinese] (China Consular Service Website, July 13, 2026). https://cs.mfa.gov.cn/zggmcgx/lsbhyxz/cjwd_149483/202607/t20260713_11981016.html
- Hubei Provincial Postal Administration (2025). Risk Warning on Preventing Fraud Through Mail and Delivery Channels [in Chinese] (March 25, 2025). https://hb.spb.gov.cn/hubsyzglj/c100057/c100058/202503/17998076d1f74959b1d4378ddb9d3564.shtml
Mentioned in
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 8, tip 29. This section describes legal rules, mostly mainland China’s. It is general information, not legal advice; for your own case, talk to a lawyer. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer