The codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a worldwide quarantine pest of fruits and nuts. Efforts to control the codling moth in the past mostly relied on broad spectrum chemical pesticides. Recently, alternative non chemical control methods such as mating disruption and the granulovirus of C. pomonella (CpGV) are increasingly being adopted, the pest could not be eradicated or suppressed effectively. This lead to a demand for new control tactics that are not only effective but also friendly to the environment. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is one of the cost effective methods for eradication or suppression of the target population. However, the traditional SIT have some drawbacks: the amount of radiation required for full sterilization leads to lower competitiveness and field performance than those of the wild type, and the sex identification requires manual separation, making the method very labor intensive. The developments of the genetically modified insects may address some of these limitations. Research progress in the SIT developmental history and the improvement caused by the genetically modified approach in the codling moth is reviewed, and the advantages and the feasibility of the genetically modified approach for codling moth control in China is also discussed.