The excellent biocompatibility of calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings makes them widely used in magnesium (Mg) alloy orthopedic implant materials. However, the porous morphology of CaP coatings limits their corrosion resistance. A cupric oxide (CuO) doped titania (TiO2) sol-gel coating is prepared on a porous hydroxyapatite (HA) coating. According to electrochemical test results, the HA/CuO-TiO2 coating obtains a current density of 6 x 10(-4) mA/cm(2), lower than that of the Mg alloy (2.6 x 10(-2) mA/cm(2)). The hydrogen evaluation of the HA/CuO-TiO2 coating is only 1/12 that of the Mg alloy after immersion for 7 days. In addition, the HA/CuO-TiO2 coating has an antibacterial rate of 99.5 +/- 0.4% against Staphylococcus aureus, significantly higher than that of the HA coating (19.8 +/- 0.3%) and HTCO coating (38.4 +/- 0.5%). The CuO doped composite coating has no adverse effect or cytotoxicity on cell proliferation (cell viability >= 79.6%). Hence, the HA/CuO-TiO2 composite coating is useful for enhancing the corrosion resistance and antibacterial properties of Mg alloys while ensuring cytocompatibility. The HA/CuO-TiO2 coated AZ60 Mg alloy can meet the requirements of clinical application.