China's mainland

with complex and uneven components

is a composite continent

contributed by convergence of several small landmasses with different basement structures and different ages. Formation and distribution of basins in China have been controlled by tectonic settings and changes of basin-forming systems. Basins in China have been formed in 3 stages

including the formation of Paleo-China

Pal-Asia and Neo-Asia. Being affected by pericontinent-and intracontinent-dominant tectonic-thermal systems

Paleozoic basins have been formed in Paleo-China/Pal-Asia tectonic settings

and Meso-Cenozoic basins have been formed in Neo-Asia tectonic setting. The Meso-Cenozoic basins have been developed in the interior of converged and condensed continent

and have experienced 3 tectonic changes:the first one occurred during Late Triassic-Early Cretaceous

the second during Late Cretaceous-Eocene and Oligocene

and the third during Oligocene/Neogene through to the present. The Paleozoic basins have been superimposed and reformed by the Meso-Cenozoic basins

resulting in complex basin structures.