As a result of investigations, a total of 11 virus and virus-like diseases of rice, namely, yellow dwarf, dwarf, transitory yellowing, black-streaked dwarf, stripe, grassy stunt, bunchy stunt, ragged stunt, orange leaf, tungro and gall dwarf have been described. Among them, the causal agents of transitory yellowing and bunchy stunt were first identified and confirmed in China. The former occurred seriously in Taiwan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Anhui and Sichuan provinces, and the latter occurred only in some parts of Fujian,Jiangxi, Hunan and Guangdong provinces in China. As far as the distribution and the damage caused by these diseases are concerned, transitory yellowing and dwarf are the most important. This report also deals with the advances and problems in the ecology, variety resistance and integrated control of rice virus diseases in China, and outlines some of the aspects which should be emphasized in the future.