Abstract: Abstract: Based on the monthly mean surface air temperature (SAT) and monthly precipitation of 160 meteorological stations over China from 1951 to 2006, the relationship between climate change and drying trend was analyzed in the last 56 years. The results indicated that the annual precipitation reduced in North China, Northeast China, the east part of Northwest China, and Southwest China, while the SAT generally increased in these regions. It is worth noting that the trend of SAT turned from a decreasing trend to an increasing trend in Southwest China and the east part of Northwest China in the 1980s. Analysis of surface wetness index (SWI) shows there were drying trends in North China, Northeast China, Southwest China and the east part of Northwest China, but the phase and duration of the drying processes were different in the above mentioned regions.

Key words: China region, climate change, dring trend, surface wetness index (SWI)