BACKGROUND: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has become a significant focus in the field of public health. CRF is considered a strong predictor of health outcomes. However, cardiorespiratory fitness levels of children and adolescents are declining. AIMS: (1) To analyse the cardiorespiratory fitness levels of children and adolescents in China, focusing on maximum oxygen uptake (VO SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A meta-analysis was conducted using 30 studies selected from five databases. RESULTS: The average performance on 20 m-SRT for Chinese children and adolescents was 34.67 laps, with a VO CONCLUSION: Cardiorespiratory fitness in Chinese children and adolescents is within a healthy range but not optimal. Boys generally perform better than girls, and Tibetan children outperform Han children.