Abstract: The marine protected area (MPA) network represents crucial instrument for the protection of biodiversity, the maintainance of ecosystem integrity and the enhancement of population resilience. Its ecological connectivity has attracted considerable attention as an important reference for the effective design and management of MPA networks. However, the concept of ecological connectivity has rarely been incorporated into the planning of MPAs in China. This study aims to provide a reference for the design of ecological connectivity in China's MPA network by synthesising existing studies on the connectivity of protected areas. Based on publicly available databases, this study systematically summarized connectivity researches and influencing factors by searching for marine protected areas and ecological connectivity as the main keywords, and the summary was further combined the analysis of internationally recognized successful cases to reveal their application practices. The literature search showed that the researches on connectivity of protected areas were mainly concentrated in the last two decades, and there was still a lack of relevant publications in Chinese. Existing studies usually used biophysical modeling and genetic analysis to assess the ecological connectivity of protected areas. A mere 44% of the assessed MPAs worldwide exhibited good ecological connectivity with considerable regional variation. As the main factors affecting the ecological connectivity of MPAs, the marine environment, biological characteristics, human activities, and climate change were important considerations in the planning practice of protected area networks. Given the lack of research and practice on protected area network connectivity in China, we propose that future research on ecological connectivity of protected areas should be strengthened, and that the future construction of protected areas should be approached with a comprehensive consideration of the influence of multiple factors.