G6PD and malaria: In view of the scarcity of molecular evolutionary genetic studies on the G6PD gene in Chinese and the highly variable mutant spectrum among different ethnic groups, this study investigated (a) the molecular epidemiological characteristics of G6PD deficiency in 12 different Chinese ethnic groups and (b) the evolutionary origin and malaria‐induced positive selection effects of G6PD‐deficient alleles in Chinese populations.