The　General　Circulation　Models　and　Coupled　Model　Intercomparison　Project　Phase　5　(CMIP5)　datasets　used　for　the　Fifth　Assessment　Report　of　the　Intergovernmental　Panel　on　Climate　Change　(IPCC)　painted　future　opportunities　and　challenges　afforded　by　climate　change　with　broad　strokes.　The　model　outputs　incorporate　substantial　uncertainty　due　to　the　relatively　coarse　spatial　scales　and　the　complexity　of　the　processes　incorporated　in　these　models　and　as　a　consequence,　it　is　difficult　to　predict　future　trends　and　infrastructure　needs　in　large　countries　like　China　at　local　and　regional　scales　over　the　next　century.　The　work　reported　in　this　article　describes　several　statistical　transfer　functions　that　were　used　to　downscale　CMIP5　climate　predictions　in　China.　The　original　and　new　downscaled　CMIP5　predictions　are　compared　with　observations　from　735　meteorological　stations　scattered　across　China　for　the　period　2006–2015　to　show　the　various　improvements　achieved　with　downscaling.　Comparing　the　three　RCP　scenarios　(2.6,　4.5　and　8.5)　during　the　period　2006–2015　with　observations　from　735　meteorological　stations　indicates　that　MAEs　of　mean　annual　temperature　were　1.9　°C　for　China　on　average　and　that　the　actual　temperature　was　under-estimated　at　87%　of　the　meteorological　stations　under　all　three　scenarios.　After　the　downscaling　process　using　a　High　Accuracy　Surface　Modeling　(HASM)-based　method,　the　MAEs　for　mean　annual　temperature　under　the　three　scenarios　were　reduced　to　0.62　°C　for　China　on　average.　The　MAEs　of　annual　mean　precipitation　were　317.29,　315.24　and　315.49　mm　under　the　RCP2.6,　RCP4.5,　and　RCP8.5　scenarios,　respectively　for　China　on　average　and　the　actual　precipitation　was　over-estimated　by　all　three　scenarios　at　approximately　75%　of　the　meteorological　stations.　The　HASM-based　downscaling　process　meant　that　the　MAEs　for　the　three　scenarios　were　reduced　to　80–85　mm　for　China　on　average.　The　downscaled　predictions　are　used　to　show　how　temperature　and　precipitation　are　likely　to　vary　by　region　in　China　from　2011　to　2100.　The　downscaled　results　suggest　that　most　of　China　will　become　warmer　and　wetter　on　average　under　all　three　scenarios　over　the　next　30　years　and　provide　improved　information　to　guide　the　investments　and　actions　that　will　be　needed　to　improve　climate　change　resilience　across　China＇s　varied　landscapes　in　the　21st　century.　©　2019　Elsevier　B.V.