Abstract: This paper gives an account of the result of the research carried out by the Jiangsu Institute of Botany on 43 olive oil samples from Kunming, Chongqing, Chenggu and Nanjing from 1977 to 1978.1. It shows that the. main physical and chemical characters of the Chinese olive oils collected from different regions correspond, on the whole, with the Codex Standard set forth by the International Olive Oil Council. The oil density coincides with that prescribed in the Standard, but the refractive index and saponification value are slightly higher than those in the Standard, while the iodine value and acidity are a little lower.2. Gas-chromatographic analyses indicate that the components of the fatty acids are just the same as that in the Standard, in spite of the amounts of various acids are somewhat different. As compared with the previously reported data on the Mediterranean olive oil, the Chinese olive oil possesses a higher content of the total saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic and stearic, and a lower content of the total unsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic, except for a higher content of palmitoleic acid.There is a content relationship between the palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids; when the content of the palmitic acid is higher, that of the oleic acid will be lower and the linoleic acid higher.3. Changes in fatty acid composition of oils produced in various areas depend upon different environmental conditions. Our observation shows that the higher the temperature during fruit-developing stage, i. e, from July to November, the higher the content of palmitic, stearic and linoleic acids, and the lower the content of oleic acid.