A unified evaluation integrating various forms of energy sources and natural resources, products and services, and imports and exports is carried out systematically at the national scale for the booming Chinese economy 1978-2005, based on the ecological measure of solar emergy. The development of the economy is shown heavily dependent on the consumption of nonrenewable natural resources. Of the total resources use, the indigenous resources contribute the most, along with the increasing imports of nonrenewable resources. The development of the Chinese economy is characterized with the recovery stage during 1978-1981, transformation stage during 1981-1991, steady growth stage during 1991-2000, and accelerated increase stage after 2000, with specific distinctive systems indications. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.