The failure of the Shenzhen private courier company DDS is only the tip of the iceberg in the chaotic private express delivery business in China, experts say.

Unsure government policies, increased operating costs and cruel competitions are all causes for the private courier business plight, Liu Jianxin, deputy secretary-general of the delivery sector of China Communications and Transport Association, told China Daily.

The government supervising the courier business has yet to issue a policy on the exclusive business of state-owned postal service, which will greatly influence the private couriers' fate, he said.