My experience is old, but probably still somewhat valid: airmail is fast (less than a week, I think) but expensive. Sea mail is the cheapest, but also slow: about three months. Ideal for getting winter clothes home, and books you won\'t get around to soon. SAL is in between those two in both cost and speed, although sometimes it can be faster than you expect. Pack everything well and seal the boxes well - basically, expect the post people to play soccer with it and wrap accordingly. Private companies are faster (I assume) and perhaps more secure than China Post, but you pay accordingly.

Another option is to pay for an extra suitcase if you\'re flying home. Usually some 50-100 euros (convert to a currency of choice by yourself) for 23 kilos, so not too expensive and very fast, as long as you have a way of getting all that stuff to and from the airport.

Expat moving companies are great if you moving an entire household and have lots of money to spend on the move. They pack everything perfectly and unpack it in a room of your choice, so they\'re very convenient. But the price is accordingly

How much stuff are we talking about?

I googled \"china expat moving company\"

This is a thread with people talking about using a moving company, booking a container etc., it is old but can give you an idea what is involved.

https://www.shanghaiexpat.com/forum/move-back-home-shipping-personal-effects-out-of-china-t51856.html