Pragmatic competence, broadly defined as the ability to use language appropriately in a social context, has become an object of inquiry in a wide range of disciplines including linguistics, applied linguistics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, communication research, and cross-cultural studies. As a newly developed interdisciplinary field of study, research on the development of pragmatic competence is increasingly attracting extensive academic interest. On the basis of much related literature, the present paper attempts a brief survey of the studies in China in the past three decades, represented according to the theoretical framework in foreign language teaching. The major issues include need analysis, course design, textbook compiling, classroom teaching, and assessment of pragmatic competence. A critical analysis is then presented with regard to some problems pertaining to the existing studies, involving theory exploration, research contents, and research methodologies.