Critical metals as the essential strategic resources for global high-technology applications, their metallogene-sis and exploration are hot topics all over the world. In recent years, China has made a series of important breakthroughs and achievements on the exploration and metallogenic studies of critical metals. Here, we systematically summarized the main achievements on the exploration in China and new research progresses on metallogenic studies of critical metals comprising Li, Rb, Nb, Ta, W, Sn, Ni, Co, Mn and ion absorbed REE over the word in the 21st century. Based on previous researches, we proposed that lithium ore-forming mainly occurs in upper crust whereas REE ore-forming is related to assembly and splitting up of continents and the interaction between the crust and mantle. Considering the metallogenesis, metallogenic environment and the characteristics of metal assemblage, we divide the main critical mineral deposits into eight genetic types:① granite-pegmatite-related W, Sn, Nb, Ta, Li, Rb, Cs, Be deposits; ② Carbonatite-alkaline complexes-related REE, Nb, U deposits; ③ Mafic-ultramafic complexes-related Ni, Co, Cr, PGE deposits; ④ Low-temperature hydrothermal Tl, Te deposits; ⑤ Recoveries as by-products in various hydrothermal deposits (e.g., Re, Ge, In, Cd, Tl, Te, Se, Sc, Ga, etc.); ⑥ Sedimentary ore deposits, including the byproducts recovered from bauxite and coal deposits (e.g., Mn, V, Ni, Mo, Co, Li, Ga, Tl, Ge, V, Sc, Nb, Ta, etc.); ⑦ The Li-Rb-Cs deposits associated with salt lakes; ⑧ The ion adsorpted REE deposits associated with weathering. We suggest the classification could be the base for new turn researches of critical mineral deposits.