Wetland vegetation dynamics are of vital importance for comprehending changes in ecosystem structure. Under the background of global climate change, it is still unclear the change trends of wetland vegetation in China, and whether there are differences between the response of wetland vegetation and non-wetland vegetation to climate change. Based on Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) NDVI3g, NOAA Vegetation Health Products (VHP) and climate data, this study explored the response of wetland vegetation to climate change in China from 1981 to 2015. The results show that: 1) NDVI of wetland vegetation in China shows a downward trend on the whole after the year of 2004. 2) In water-limited zones, wetland vegetation NDVI is positive correlated with precipitation; while in temperature-limited zones, it is positive correlated with temperature. 3) El Nino and La Nina may affect wetland vegetation NDVI. The greater impact of La Nina phenomenon than El Nino phenomenon is the possible reason for the upward trend of wetland vegetation NDVI, while the greater impact of El Nino phenomenon than La Nina phenomenon may be the reason for the downward trend of NDVI. 4) The response of wetland vegetation and non-wetland vegetation to climate change is significantly different. Non-wetland vegetation responds more significantly to climate change than wetland vegetation.