Abstract: For the future of the systematic entomology in China in the new century, a series of suggestions are made with emphasis on capacity building, species inventories, theoretical research, technological innovation, and international cooperation. With regard to capacity building, both government and scientists should place importance on assessing national needs in the areas of taxonomy, infrastructure building, and partnerships among the collections including collecting, managements, research, knowledge sharing and exchange of material. Regarding to species inventories, governments and related organizations should continually fund collecting and initiate well-organized field explorations in order to improve our knowledge of insect diversity and biology. It is necessary to revise the past taxonomic research both regionally and globally. With respect to theoretical research, the focus should be on species concepts, evolutionary theories, comparative biology and the systematics of higher taxa. With respect to technological innovation, those working in systematics need to be aware of modern computer based methods and techniques, such as databases, the Internet, image processing, interactive identification, character analysis, molecular biology, phylogenetic analysis software, information management and knowledge dissemination. As for international cooperation, the Chinese systematics organizations should be promoted to join the international taxonomic initiatives and organizations, to establish a national system of species information management and to boost the global information sharing by making great efforts to internationalize the taxonomic research projects.

Key words: insect systematics, collections, species inventory, information management, international cooperation