This paper investigates and analyzes the development of ESP （English for Specific Purposes） research in China from 2007 to 2016 by applying the mixed method （qualitative method and quantitative method）.It reveals the following findings：（1）the number of ESP-related papers shows a growing trend，but the level of achievements still remains to improve；（2）hot topics of research include ESP teaching design，ESP curriculum planning，ESP textbooks，ESP teachers，etc.；（3）non-empirical study occupies a leading position，but the gap between empirical and non-empirical study has been obviously narrowing since 2014，while research combining qualitative method with quantitative method is still limited；（4）compared with other disciplines，linguistics and education attach much greater importance to ESP research；（5）ESP research predominates in economically developed areas under the drive of global demands，social requirements and market force.The paper has made some predictions on the further development of ESP.