This study provides a structured review of the determinants of China’s trade flows based on empirical research employing the gravity model. A total of 67 articles indexed in the Scopus database between 2004 and February 2024 were systematically collected and examined. The study synthesizes the frequency of explanatory variables, as well as the direction and statistical significance of their estimated coefficients across the selected literature. The results indicate that GDP (Gross Domestic Production), common language, common border, and FTAs (free trade agreements) are consistently associated with higher trade flows in gravity-based estimations. In contrast, distance, tariff and landlocked status are frequently linked to trade-reducing effects. Overall, economic scale and institutional integration tend to facilitate China’s trade expansion, while trade costs and geographic constraints act as limiting factors. By organizing and comparing empirical findings across studies, this review offers a consolidated understanding of the main determinants of China’s trade flows and provides a reference framework for future gravity-model research.
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