Abstract: FLT is an ecosystem, of which textbook development is one important link or component.Within the Chinese education system, textbooks are the means to achieve curriculum objectives.Textbooks not only embody curriculum requirements, flesh out curriculum content, and implement educational policies, but also offer vital support and resources for the students to acquire subject knowledge and develop key competencies. Hence, research on textbooks should not only concentrate on the nature and characteristics of textbooks, the guiding principles, underlying theories, and practical concerns in their development, but also reflect on the organizational processes involved in writing textbooks, and the actual use of textbooks in the classroom context.With an understanding of the ecological features of FLT, Chinese foreign language textbooks research should consider the interrelationships among different stakeholders at a macro-level, the criteria and standards for textbook development, evaluation, and consumption at a meso-level, and the components, content, and layout of textbooks at a micro-level.