Abstract China’s electricity purchases and power generation have been subject to deterministic catalogue tariffs for a long time. With the continuous improvement of China’s electricity market reform, more and more parts of electricity purchase and power generation use market-based methods to determine electricity prices. This paper reviews the marketization process in China’s electricity purchase and power generation. In view of whether or not to participate in the electricity market, this paper classifies different types of electricity purchase and power generation in China. Finally, it summarizes the significance of China’s electricity purchase and power generation marketization.