Abstract: Objective The study provided a preliminary analysis of the current progress and advancement of AIDS research, uncovering the characteristics and patterns of domestic and overseas research on AIDS. Methods Domestic and overseas literature relevant to AIDS research in the duration from 1999 to 2008 was retrieved from Medline and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database on Web (CBMWeb), and bibliometrically analyzed based on the publication time, nations or regions, journals and subjects. Results There were 6344 AIDS-related Chinese articles published from 1999 to 2008 in contrast to 13 480 in other languages, the total number increasing with fluctuation. A remarkably large proportion of articles were published in such developed countries as the Europe and the US. On the other hand, obvious geographical characteristics in Chinese articles were noticed. Relatively higher-tier journals tended to have a larger amount of relevant articles both at home and abroad. Despite general similarity in the research interests, significant discrepancy existed in certain fields. Conclusion Recently, rapid development in the research of AIDS in our country entailed the necessity of in-depth study and rebalancing of various relevant fields.