This study investigates the sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) emissions in China from 2011 to 2021 using atmospheric observations. SF6 is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential (GWP) of ~25,000 over a 100-year period. The emissions in China increased from 2.6 Gg yr-1 in 2011 to 5.1 Gg yr-1 in 2021, significantly larger than the global total emissions rise. This increase is partly due to substantial power generation and transmission in less-populated western regions, which were previously under-quantified. The CO2-eq emissions of SF6 in China in 2021 were 125 million tonnes (Mt), comparable to the national total CO2 emissions of countries like the Netherlands or Nigeria. The increasing SF6 emissions offset some of the CO2 reductions achieved through the transition to renewable energy in the power industry, potentially hindering China's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 if no concrete control measures are implemented. The study highlights the importance of focusing on SF6 emissions from non-Annex-I countries, particularly China, and suggests that maintaining SF6 emissions control measures is crucial for achieving global climate goals.This study investigates the sustained growth of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) emissions in China from 2011 to 2021 using atmospheric observations. SF6 is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential (GWP) of ~25,000 over a 100-year period. The emissions in China increased from 2.6 Gg yr-1 in 2011 to 5.1 Gg yr-1 in 2021, significantly larger than the global total emissions rise. This increase is partly due to substantial power generation and transmission in less-populated western regions, which were previously under-quantified. The CO2-eq emissions of SF6 in China in 2021 were 125 million tonnes (Mt), comparable to the national total CO2 emissions of countries like the Netherlands or Nigeria. The increasing SF6 emissions offset some of the CO2 reductions achieved through the transition to renewable energy in the power industry, potentially hindering China's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 if no concrete control measures are implemented. The study highlights the importance of focusing on SF6 emissions from non-Annex-I countries, particularly China, and suggests that maintaining SF6 emissions control measures is crucial for achieving global climate goals.