Gene therapy has made significant progress in the past decade, and has strong promise for the treatment of chronic diseases. China has emerged as a pioneer in some fields of gene therapy and, in 2003, became the first country to commercialize a gene therapy product, Gendicine. H-101 (Ocorine), the second gene therapy-based medicine, was approved in China in 2005. Commercialization of these two gene therapy products provides China with worldwide recognition in the field of gene therapy. The progress of gene therapy in China has resulted in the establishment of several companies pursuing gene therapy technology for commercial purposes. This review summarizes the recent advances in gene therapy in China, including preclinical studies, clinical trials and product commercialization.