Automation is the utilization of control techniques together with other information technology to control industrial processes, reducing the need for human intervention. It plays a highly important role in social and economy as well as in daily life. Control theory is the theory of automation, and is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering and mathematics, examining the behavior of dynamical systems. China has a long history of manufacturing automatic devices. In recent years, some rapid progresses in control theory have been made in China. Many new theories and new methodologies have been developed to meet the increasing demands in industry, agriculture, defense, and other social sectors. Contemporary sciences such as complexity, systems biology, quantum technologies, have also found their close links to control theories and technologies. On the other hand, control theory itself has many unsolved fundamental problems requiring further studies and investigation. This paper is to review the development and progress that have been made in all these aspects in China. Some remarks on the future development of control theory are also presented.
