Since the revision of the Criminal Procedure Law in 1996，criminal defense has always been a hot topic among the law circle in China. People have different accounts and opinions of the situation of criminal defense during this period of time，such as “impasse”，“dilemma”，“retrogress”，and “progress amidst twists and turns”. Based on the emperical research，this report comes to the conclusion that the criminal defense in China has neither undergone serious retrogression，nor met the standard set by contries unde the rule of law.