Abstract: Using monthly mean temperature data from 72 meteorological stations in Northeast China of temperature dataset established by National Meteorological Information Center of CMA and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data from 1961 to 2011, two sequences of the East Asian winter monsoon intensity index and winter air temperature in Northeast China are processed, removing the linear trend. The contrastive analysis is made on the variation characteristics between the winter monsoon intensity index and the winter air temperature in Northeast China.The result shows that two sequences change synchronously and the correlation coefficient after removal of linear trend is-0.69, which is greater than that between two original sequences. Under the background of global warming, the increasing trend of winter air temperature in Northeast China makes this relationship become weaker. When Northeast China enters the cold phase in 2004, the East Asian winter monsoon intensity index also enhancs at the same time. The warming trend of winter air temperature plays an important role in the warming climate abrupt change in 1986.Correlation coefficient between the inter-decadal signals of the East Asian winter monsoon intensity index and the winter air temperature in Northeast China is-0.86, which is also more obvious compared with the original sequences. A quasi-period of about 21.5 years is found for the inter-decadal variation, the winter air temperature in Northeast China is in the low stage, and the East Asian winter monsoon is in strong phase of this period at present. A 4-year quasi-period is found for the inter-annual variability.The inter-annual and inter-decadal anomalies of the winter air temperature in Northeast China are related with the abnormal background of some systems such as the East Asia westerly jet stream at 200 hPa, the East Asia trough and the high in Ural at 500 hPa, wind at 850 hPa, and the Siberian high on the ground associated with the East Asian winter monsoon. During the inter-decadal low temperature stage, the westerly jet moves further south at 200 hPa, the Siberia high and the East Asia trough is stronger at 500 hPa, the Siberia anticyclone is abnormally stronger, and there is the cyclonic circulation anomaly in western continental Europe at 850 hPa and significant northerly wind anomaly in the north region of the Okhotsk Sea. All of these anomalies reflect the inter-decadal stronger characteristic of the East Asian winter monsoon, and vice versa. The possible physical contact between the East Asian winter monsoon intensity and the winter air temperature in Northeast China may be consistent associated with inter-decadal on the inter-annual timescale.