Abstract: This paper discusses about the dispute as to whether the college English teaching reform in China should be oriented toward English for General Purposes (EGP) or English for Specific Purposes (ESP), arguing that the current EGP centered mode has been carried out in Chinese universities and colleges for over 30 years and thus should be subject to thorough reforms so as to accommodate itself to the recent social changes in China. Guidelines on College English Teaching issued by Chinese Ministry of Education in 2016 has pointed out the orientation of college English teaching reforms in the following era in China, and this paper suggests that the crux to the success of the reforms consists in whether the college English teachers can transform themselves in terms of both their role as a language teacher and their further education to meet the demands of ESP.