Cotton leaf curl disease is the most devastating virus diseases to cotton production in the world. The disease has been spreading widely in cottongrowing areas in Pakistan, India, Sudan, Egypt and South Africa, and caused enormous economic losses. Up to now, eight species virus including Cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMV) have been cloned from the cotton diseased samples, all of which belongs to the genus Begomovirus of the family Geminiviridae. CLCuMV is transmitted in a persistent manner by the sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), and transmitted by grafting, but not transmitted by mechanical inoculation and seeds. CLCuMV is one of the main pathogens causing cotton leaf curl disease spread widely in Pakistan and India. The genome of the virus has only component A (DNAA) and associated satellite beta molecular (DNA β). Since CLCuMV was first detected and identified with molecular techniques on Hibiscus rosasinensis in Guangdong, China, in 2006, the plants with disease symptoms, infected by the virus were found in many areas of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan Provinces. The infected host plants include Hibiscus rosasinensis, Abelmoschus esculentus,Gossypium hirsutumand Malvaviscus arboreus. Both DNAA and DNA β sequence identities of the isolates from different geographic areas and different host plants in China were more than 99%. It means that the population DNA of CLCuMV invading China is stable. Based on the literatures and our study advances, the world distribution and pathogen of cotton leaf curl disease is summarised, the characteristics of CLCuMV and the present situation after invading China presented, meanwhile, the source of CLCuMV invading China and the risk of CLCuMV threatening the cotton production in China was discussed in this paper. The threat of CLCuMV on cotton and other crops is aggravating in China. The study will provide the basis for the prevention and control of CLCuMV.