Trinucleid trilobites from China assigned to twenty-five species representing seven genera are reviewed. Their occurrence is restricted mainly to the Yangtse region of China, and two stratigraphically distinct faunas are present. A hanchungolithine-Yinpanolithus fauna of Arenig age shows affinities to the trinucleid faunas of central Europe and northern Gondwanaland. ANankinolithus- reedolitne fauna of Caradoc to Ashgill age possesses species of Caradoc age that show affinity to the trinucleid faunas of Europe, whereas the species of Ashgill age show cosmopolitan affinities. No trinucleids are yet known from the Llandeilo of China and records from north of the Yangtse region are as yet unpublished. One new species,Nankinolithus yanhaoi is erected and a full description given for the first time of “Trinucleus”richthofeni Kayser, 1883 which is assigned to the genusHanchungolithus. Lectotypes are selected forNingkianolithus welleri, Ningkianolithus honghuayuanensis, Hanchungolithus xiangyangensis andYinpanolithus yinpanensis.