AbstractAs a basic technological product describing the geomagnetic spatial distribution, the national geomagnetic chart should choose an appropriate method to describe the geomagnetic field on standard epoch and its secular variations for the coming 5 years truly. We calculated the geomagnetic data at 1119 sites and 36 observatories in China by using the spherical cap harmonic (SCH) method, and obtained the space distribution of the normal and the anomalous geomagnetic fields in China for 2005.0 and the SCH model of geomagnetic secular variations in China for 2005~2010. The results showed that the errors of the geomagnetic field by IGRF could be ~ 5ʹ for the declination D and the inclination I and ~100 nT for the total intensity F. Because the geomagnetic survey data with new data and better resolution were used in the calculation, the geomagnetic chart for 2005.0 by the SCH method can better describe the space distribution of the geomagnetic field than the IGRF. This method can be stably used in compiling the China Geomagnetic Chart.