Based on the value added trade accounting method，this paper tries to employ 1995~2011 WIOD data to measure the degree of China’s participation in global value chains (GVCs) and to analyze its GVC position, valueadded competence, trade revenue and competitiveness. New indices of GVC position, GVC participation, GVC trade revenue are set up in this paper. The results show that China kept specializing in downstream activities. In the first few years after entering into the WTO, China’s GVC position was getting lower and value-added competence getting weaker due to a greater share of processing trade. In recent years, China has seen an increase in GVC position and value-added competence. With deepening of its participation in GVCs, China has gained more trade revenue. The results also show that China has stronger competence in manufacturing sector compared with service sector, and has also gained more trade revenue from the manufac turing sector.