Different statistical methods and data from 534 meteorological stations were used to diagnose variations in average annual temperature in China from 1961-2014. Time series of annual average temperature of China presented an increasing trend. Decade trend in annual average temperature was found to be different, with the following characteristics: decrease-increase-increase-increase-decrease. Annual average temperature showed fluctuation characteristics with different time scales: 2-6, 20, 40, and 60 years. An abrupt change was found for 1998: climate warming stopped. For spatial distributions, annual average temperature in all meteorological stations showed increases from 1961-2014. Meteorological stations with increasing trend on decade scales compared with the whole study period accounted for 2.6%, 32.9%, 78.8%, 86.0% and 11.2% respectively. Especially the 1960s and 2000s showed significant decreasing trend in large areas. Annual average temperature showed significant increasing trend from 1971-2000 in large areas. Either increasing or decreasing trend, northeastern China and Qinghai-Tibet plateau showed significant variations in spatial patterns. From 2000 annual average temperature in China has showed marked stagnation, although carbon dioxide emission showed sharp rise in the same period. Different theories could possibly explain the stagnation in climate warming, although many uncertainties await further investigation.