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The sweet potato whitefly <i>Bemisia tabaci</i> is a major agricultural pest with a wide host range throughout the world. The species designation for <i>B. tabaci</i> includes numerous distinct cryptic species or biotypes. Two invasive <i>B. tabaci</i> biotypes, MEAM1 (B) and MED (Q), were found in China at the end of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century. MEAM1 (B) and MED (Q) show higher pesticide resistance levels than native strains, and the levels of resistance vary with changes in insecticide selection pressure. Recent studies have revealed metabolic resistance mechanisms and target site mutations in invasive <i>B. tabaci</i> strains that render them resistant to a range of insecticides and have uncovered the frequency of these resistance-related mutations in <i>B. tabaci</i> populations in China. Novel pest control agents, such as RNA-based pesticides and nano-pesticides, have achieved effective control effects in the laboratory and are expected to be applied for field control of <i>B. tabaci</i> in the future. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of resistance developed by these invasive <i>B. tabaci</i> populations since their invasion into China. We also provide suggestions for ecologically sound and efficient <i>B. tabaci</i> control.