China’s adult and continuing education institutions have launched comprehensive reforms in order to meet the increasing demands for professional training. With decentralisation and marketisation becoming global trends in reforming public sectors across the world, China’s adult and continuing education institutions have also adopted these policies in their restructuring. The present research presents a holistic picture of the restructuring of China’s adult and continuing education. The global and local forces that are driving the decentralisation and marketisation of China’s adult and continuing education such as the development of the market economy in the country, the rising demand for professional talent, the impact of the increasing enrolment in China’s regular higher education institutions, and the external influence of educational reforms are identified and examined.