This study uses long-term atmospheric observations to estimate sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) emissions from China between 2011 and 2021. The results show that SF₆ emissions in China increased from 2.6 Gg yr⁻¹ in 2011 to 5.1 Gg yr⁻¹ in 2021, which is significantly higher than the global increase. This increase in China offsets reductions in emissions from other countries. The western regions of China, which have not been well quantified in previous studies, contribute significantly to national emissions, likely due to substantial power generation and transmission. The CO₂-equivalent emissions of SF₆ in China in 2021 were 125 million tonnes, comparable to the national CO₂ emissions of several countries. The increasing SF₆ emissions offset some of the CO₂ reductions achieved through transitioning to renewable energy in the power industry, and may hinder progress towards achieving China's goal of carbon neutrality by 2060 if no concrete control measures are implemented. SF₆ is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 25,000 over a 100-year time horizon. Its long lifetime (1000–3200 years) means that emissions today can cause long-term changes to the global radiative forcing. SF₆ emissions are primarily from high-voltage electrical switchgear, and to a lesser extent, magnesium smelting and other industrial uses. Global SF₆ emissions have been increasing rapidly since the 2000s, even though emissions from UNFCCC Annex-I countries have been reduced since the 1990s. The increase in SF₆ emissions from non-Annex-I countries, including China, due to their rapid expansion of power demand and fast adoption of renewable energy technologies, has offset the reductions from Annex-I countries. China is the major contributor to SF₆ emissions among non-Annex-I countries due to its high electrical power demand. The study used atmospheric observations from nine sites within a Chinese measurement network and a top-down inverse modeling framework to derive SF₆ emissions in China over 2011–2021. The derived top-down emissions were compared to previous studies to evaluate national bottom-up estimates. The study found that emissions from the less-populated western regions of China are substantial, likely due to substantial power generation and transmission in that area. The study also found that the power industry is a prominent source of SF₆ emissions in China, including in the western regions. The study highlights the increasing role of China's SF₆ emissions in the global total emissions. The study also found that the power industry in China is a significant source of SF₆ emissions, and that the annual SF₆ emissions in each province are highly correlated with their corresponding power generation and consumption. The study suggests thatThis study uses long-term atmospheric observations to estimate sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) emissions from China between 2011 and 2021. The results show that SF₆ emissions in China increased from 2.6 Gg yr⁻¹ in 2011 to 5.1 Gg yr⁻¹ in 2021, which is significantly higher than the global increase. This increase in China offsets reductions in emissions from other countries. The western regions of China, which have not been well quantified in previous studies, contribute significantly to national emissions, likely due to substantial power generation and transmission. The CO₂-equivalent emissions of SF₆ in China in 2021 were 125 million tonnes, comparable to the national CO₂ emissions of several countries. The increasing SF₆ emissions offset some of the CO₂ reductions achieved through transitioning to renewable energy in the power industry, and may hinder progress towards achieving China's goal of carbon neutrality by 2060 if no concrete control measures are implemented. SF₆ is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 25,000 over a 100-year time horizon. Its long lifetime (1000–3200 years) means that emissions today can cause long-term changes to the global radiative forcing. SF₆ emissions are primarily from high-voltage electrical switchgear, and to a lesser extent, magnesium smelting and other industrial uses. Global SF₆ emissions have been increasing rapidly since the 2000s, even though emissions from UNFCCC Annex-I countries have been reduced since the 1990s. The increase in SF₆ emissions from non-Annex-I countries, including China, due to their rapid expansion of power demand and fast adoption of renewable energy technologies, has offset the reductions from Annex-I countries. China is the major contributor to SF₆ emissions among non-Annex-I countries due to its high electrical power demand. The study used atmospheric observations from nine sites within a Chinese measurement network and a top-down inverse modeling framework to derive SF₆ emissions in China over 2011–2021. The derived top-down emissions were compared to previous studies to evaluate national bottom-up estimates. The study found that emissions from the less-populated western regions of China are substantial, likely due to substantial power generation and transmission in that area. The study also found that the power industry is a prominent source of SF₆ emissions in China, including in the western regions. The study highlights the increasing role of China's SF₆ emissions in the global total emissions. The study also found that the power industry in China is a significant source of SF₆ emissions, and that the annual SF₆ emissions in each province are highly correlated with their corresponding power generation and consumption. The study suggests that