Abstract: Coal preparation is a crucial link in coal exploration and utilization process, which can contribute to increased utilization rate of coal resources and also reduced air pollution caused by burning of coal. High-efficiency and clean coal preparation technology has therefore become the research hotspot in coal-related sectors. Following a review of the key coal preparation technologies and the main methods currently applied in China, as well as the state-of-art of the related research work, the advantages and limitations of each method are summarized. Finally, the paper looks ahead to the development trend of coal preparation technology research work in China.