Widespread soil acidification due to atmospheric acid deposition and agricultural fertilization may greatly accelerate soil carbonate dissolution and CO2 release.However,to date,few studies have addressed these processes.Here,we use meta-analysis and nationwide-survey datasets to investigate changes in soil inorganic carbon(SIC)stocks in China.We observe an overall decrease in SIC stocks in topsoil(0-30 cm)(11.33 g C m-2 yr-1)from the 1980s to the 2010s.Total SIC stocks have decreased by～8.99±2.24％(1.37±0.37 Pg C).The average SIC losses across China(0.046 Pg C yr-1)and in cropland(0.016 PgCyr-1)account for～17.6％-24.0％of the terrestrial C sink and 57.1％of the soil organic carbon sink in cropland,respectively.Nitrogen deposition and climate change have profound influences on SIC cycling.We estimate that～19.12％-19.47％of SIC stocks will be further lost by 2100.The consumption of SIC may offset a large portion of global efforts aimed at ecosystem carbon sequestration,which emphasizes the importance of achieving a better understanding of the indirect coupling mechanisms of nitrogen and carbon cycling and of effective countermeasures to minimize SIC loss.