Abstract: Due to the different understanding of the geological architecture of the East China Sea Shelf Basin characterized by "east-west zonation or north-south blocking", there are debates on the division of tectonic units. Based on the study of seismic lines combined with gravity and magnetic data in addition to previous research, taking the sratigraphic distribution and basin architectures as the key, the authors divided the East China Sea Shelf Basin into three parts:(1) the West Depression Belt, which includes the Changjiang, Taibei and Pengjiayu depressions; (2) the Middle Uplift Belt, which includes the Hupijiao, Haijiao, Yushan and Fuzhou uplifts; and (3) the East Depression Belt or the Zhedong Depression. This division scheme has advantages to display the distribution and thickness variation of the Cenozoic deposits, basin architectures, and tectonic evolution, and is significant for overall understanding of the geology of the basin and the east-west differentiation. The division is also helpful in regional hydrocarbon exploration.