China is located centrally in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, and a large proportion of the migratory shorebird population of the Flyway uses its extensive wetlands during migration. However, little is known about the abundance and distribution of shorebirds in China during the non-breeding season. In the non-breeding seasons of 2002–03 to 2006–07 we surveyed shorebirds in coastal and inland areas of eastern China, covering an estimated 2500 km of inland waterways and 3500 km of coastline. We document the abundance and distribution of the main species of shorebirds occurring in the region during the non-breeding season, and present the first population estimates for this period, discuss the accuracy of published population estimates of the Flyway, and describe extensions of range of some species. The total shorebird population in eastern China during the non-breeding season is likely to exceed 1 million birds. There were sufficient data for satisfactory population estimates to be made for six of the 27 different species encountered during the surveys (Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta; Grey Plover, Pluvialis squatarola; Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus; Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata; Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus; and Dunlin, Calidris alpina), and suggestions are made for reviews of the population estimates in the Flyway of four of these species and of the Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), one of the less common species encountered. The new distributional data obtained extend the non-breeding ranges for nine species and it is believed that the Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) is not as widely distributed in eastern China as previously suggested.