Determination of the concentrations of. 15 rare earth elements (REE) in China continental shelf sediments by X- ray fluorescent spectral analysis of selected representative sediment samples showed that REE concentration in the sediments is 156 ppm, similar to that in China loess and Fujian granite, but different from that in Pacific sediments. The shelf REE have the characteristic distribution pattern of typical continental crust REE and evidently philo-continental property. The above findings suggest that weathered materials transported from the China continent are the main source of the REE in China continental shelf sediments.Experiments show that REE exist mainly in the crystal lattices of clay minerals ( <2u) as isomorphs and that REE have close relation with most elements (Al, Ti, K, Rb, Fe, etc.) related with clay minerals, but have negative correlation with the biophile elements Ca and Sr. Determination of the concentrations of. 15 rare earth elements (REE) in China continental shelf sediments by X-ray fluorescent spectral analysis of selected representative sediment samples showed that REE concentration in the sediments is 156 ppm, similar to that in China loess and Fujian granite , but different from that in Pacific sediments. The shelf REE have the characteristic distribution pattern of typical continental crust REE and evidently philo-continental property. The above findings suggest that weathered materials transported from the China continent are the main source of the REE in China continental shelf sediments. Experiments show that REE exist mainly in the crystal lattices of clay minerals (<2u) as isomorphs and that REE have close relation with most elements (Al, Ti, K, Rb, Fe, etc.) related with clay minerals , but have negative correlation with the biophile elements Ca and Sr.