Purpose Effective BIM application hinges on the development of appropriate strategies for its implementation. Though some strategies have been deployed to facilitate BIM implementation in China, their outcomes are not clear. The purpose of this paper is to provide recommendations regarding appropriate strategies for promoting the development and implementation of BIM in China based on lessons learned from advanced implementation experiences in other countries. Design/methodology/approach First, existing strategies are investigated and barriers to BIM implementation mentioned in previous studies are summarized. Then, the identified barriers are mapped to the strategy contents. Finally, a comparative analysis on different areas is conducted to propose suggestions for identified items of BIM implementation strategies that need to be improved. Findings Six unaddressed barriers to BIM implementation strategies in China were identified from the mapping results: insufficient government lead/direction, organizational issues, legal issues, high cost of application, resistance to change of thinking mode and insufficient external motivation. Originality/value The findings of this study can be used to facilitate the development of appropriate strategies within the public and private sectors for promoting BIM implementation in China and elsewhere.