Events in the year 1916 in China.

• President: Yuan Shikai (until 6 June), Li Yuanhong (from 7 June)
• Vice President: Feng Guozhang
• Premier: Lu Zhengxiang (until 22 March), Xu Shichang (from 22 March to 23 April), Duan Qirui (from 23 April)

• National Protection War
• 22 March – Disestablishment of the Empire of China (1915–16)
• 21 September – Establishment of the Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Honan^[1]
• 30 October – Vice-presidential election

• January 9 — Wang Dongxing, military commander and politician (d. 2015)
• January 21 — Xiao Hua, general (d. 1985)

• February 26 — Fang Yi, communist revolutionary, diplomat, and high-ranking politician (d. 1997)

• March 10 — Xu Jiatun, politician and dissident (d. 2017)

• April 6 — Zhuo Lin, third and last wife of Deng Xiaoping (d. 2009)
• April 15 — Ren Jiyu, philosopher (d. 2009)

• May 1 — Rong Yiren, 5th Vice President of China (d. 2005)
• May 4 — Li Desheng, general (d. 2011)

• June 6 — Ruan Posheng, politician (d. 2017)

• July 16 — Sudono Salim, Indonesian banker and businessman (d. 2012)

• October 1 — Liu Huaqing, revolutionary and an admiral of the People's Liberation Army Navy (d. 2011)
• October 6
  • Chiang Wei-kuo, Nationalist army general and adopted son of Chiang Kai-shek (d. 1997)
  • Xie Xuegong, politician (d. 1993)

• December 1 — Wan Li, 5th Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (d. 2015)
• December 5 — Lin Hujia, politician (d. 2018)

• Wan Xiaotang, politician (d. 1966)
• Chen Weida, politician and educator (d. 1990)

• March 15 — Wei Guangtao, Qing dynasty politician (b. 1837)
• April 27 — Sheng Xuanhuai, tycoon, politician and educator (b. 1844)
• May 18 — Chen Qimei, revolutionary activist and key figure of the Green Gang (b.1878)
• June 6 — Yuan Shikai, general and statesman (b.1859)
• October 31 — Huang Xing, revolutionary leader and politician (b.1874)
• November 8 — Cai E, revolutionary leader and general (b.1882)