Special Olympics China was founded in 1985 and has grown from 30,000 athletes in 2000 to over 550,000 athletes at the end of 2005. Special Olympics China currently has the largest level of quantitative growth of all the Special Olympics Programs in the world. Thousands of coaches, educators, volunteers, and others train athletes and help organize competitions and other events. Each of China's 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities has a Special Olympics Program.

Special Olympics China offers 24 sports including: aquatics, athletics, basketball, badminton, cycling, soccer, gymnastics, volleyball, speed skating, figure skating, floor hockey, table tennis, tennis, bowling, and power lifting.

The first Special Olympics China competition was held in 1987 in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Since then, competitions have taken place in many cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Xi'an. In November, 1996 a delegation of 16 athletes from Special Olympics China joined over 1,000 athletes in Shanghai for the first Special Olympics Asia Pacific Regional Games. Beginning in 1997, delegations from Special Olympics China have attended the Special Olympics World Winter and Summer Games. In June, 2003 despite challenges posed by the SARS epidemic, Special Olympics China sent a delegation of athletes to the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland. The 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan saw the largest delegation from Special Olympics China, with 68 athletes and 17 coaches.

The most important objective of Special Olympics is to promote the Special Olympics athlete. Over 2,000 people from all walks of life volunteer their time to coach, organize events, raise funds, and work on Special Olympics related events. Special Olympics China receives financial aid from the China Disabled Person's Federation, the Chinese Charity Foundation, the Chinese central government, as well as different levels of the Chinese government.