Abstract: Objective：To explore the association between parent-child interaction and early childhood development, and to inform further positive parenting intervention. Methods：This is a cross-sectional survey. In November 2016, stratified cluster random sample method was used to select newly enrolled preschoolers from Shanghai kindergartens for an online survey of Chinese Parent-Child Interaction Scale (CPCIS) and the Early Human Capability Index (eHCI). Children's demographic information included gender, age, maternal education level, household annual income, primary caregiver, siblings, and parental marital status. CPCIS includes 12 items, and the total scores added from all items were used in the analysis. The CPCIS total score is divided into <P25, ~P50, ~P75 and >P75 according to the quartiles. In the eHCI, this research focused on children's overall development, literacy and numeracy. Results：A total of 19,051 preschoolers were included in the analysis. The mean age was 3.73 (95% CI: 3.73-3.74) years, and 52.45% (95% CI: 51.45-53.44) was male. The reliability of CPCIS was at a high level (α=0.88), and the reliability of overall development (α=0.87) , literacy and numeracy (α=0.84) were both at a high level. The lower parent-child interaction frequency was associated with male, grandparents or others as the primary caregiver, parents divorce, mothers with the education level of or below high school, household annual income <100,000 RMB, and children with siblings or older age (continuous variables). The average score of CPCIS in Shanghai was 2.68 (95% CI: 2.66-2.70). Adjusting for gender, age, maternal education level, household annual income, primary caregiver, siblings, and parental marital status, the parent-child interaction level was positively correlated with the overall development, literacy and numeracy. Conclusion：Parent-child interaction is associated with early childhood development, indicating benefits of parent-child interaction intervention for promoting early childhood development.