Open accessibility guideSkip to sections navigationSkip to contentSkip to footerThe Sydney Morning Herald logoThe Sydney Morning Herald logoAdvertisementWorldAsiaBeijingMu Jie works 13 hour days as a food delivery driver in Beijing often making little more than $1.20 per order.Updated May 29, 2026 — 2:02pm,first published 1:58pmLoadingLatest in VideosVideo icon0:43Moment Bezos-owned rocket explodes into huge fireballVideo icon0:24Police called amid protests at Victoria Park Olympics siteVideo icon3:06An Australian taking over the UK gets his own crazy showVideo icon0:22Melbourne cold case arrestAdvertisementThe Sydney Morning Herald logoTwitterFacebookInstagramRSSOur SitesThe Sydney Morning HeraldThe AgeBrisbane TimesWAtodayThe Australian Financial Reviewnine.com.auDriveClassifiedsTributesPlace your adThe Sydney Morning HeraldContact & supportAdvertise with usNewslettersAccessibility guideSitemapPhoto salesPurchase front pagesContent licensingWork with usTerms of usePrivacy policyPress CouncilCharter of Editorial IndependenceAI Editorial GuidelinesProducts & ServicesSubscription packagesMy accountSubscriber FAQsDelivery statusToday’s PaperGood Food GuideDaily PuzzlesCopyright © 2026Subscribe
Long hours, low pay, and dozens of orders: life for China's delivery drivers
Mu Jie works 13 hour days as a food delivery driver in Beijing often making little more than $1.20 per order.
TL;DRAI
China's food delivery drivers work 13-hour days earning as little as $1.20 per order, according to accounts from Beijing couriers like Mu Jie. The gig-labor economics underpinning platforms like Meituan and Ele.me reveal a margin structure that Western delivery and logistics operators cannot replicate without equivalent labor cost arbitrage.
128 words~1 min read
