Regional　relative　sea　level　changes　are　most　relevant　for　coastal　communities　and　remain　challenging　to　understand.　China’s　adjacent　seas　are　among　the　world’s　most　vulnerable　regions　to　sea　level　rise.　This　paper　investigates　the　sea　level　budgets　in　China’s　adjacent　seas　over　the　past　20　years.　We　use　multiple　time-varying　gravity　field　data　and　steric　data　to　assess　the　uncertainties　of　some　components　in　the　sea　level　budget　and　the　contributions　of　mass　loss　from　ice　sheets,　glaciers,　and　terrestrial　water　storage　changes　to　regional　relative　sea　level　changes　were　estimated　using　sea　level　fingerprints.　The　sea　level　budget　results　based　on　ensemble　mean　data　show　that　the　root　mean　square　errors　of　the　budget　residuals　in　the　Bohai　Sea,　Yellow　Sea,　East　China　Sea,　South　China　Sea,　and　Northwest　Pacific　are　40±3　mm,　52±4　mm,　36±2　mm,　23±2　mm,　and　11±1　mm,　respectively.　A　single　dataset　fails　to　close　the　long-term　sea　level　trends　for　all　regions　within　a　65%　confidence　interval.　We　discussed　the　impacts　of　each　component　on　the　budget　residuals　and　identified　steric　data　and　the　ocean　dynamics　model　as　the　main　reasons　for　the　excessive　residuals.　The　de-aliasing　product　of　the　GRACE　satellite,　AOD1B　model,　is　primarily　responsible　for　the　strong　interannual　signals　in　the　residuals　of　the　sea　level　budget　in　the　Bohai　Sea,　Yellow　Sea,　and　East　China　Sea.　©　The　Author(s)　2025.