China has the largest number of people with dementia and the incidence is projected to increase much faster than in the developed world. There is a great demand for new drugs that can prevent or treat the disease and great potential for conducting Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials. The majority of Alzheimer’s disease trials that have been conducted in China are local trials. In early years, there were deficiencies in trial design and implementation; however, with more attention from the government and concerted efforts among Alzheimer’s disease experts, the standards for conducting Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials have improved. There are currently 159 clinical trial institutions capable of conducting Alzheimer’s disease trials in China, offering good facilities, experienced investigators and easily accessible patient pools. Recently a few global pharmaceutical companies have expanded their Alzheimer’s disease trials into China. It is expected that with increasing exposure to global standards and improved training, China’s capacity and capability to conduct Alzheimer’s disease trials will be strengthened.