As the title suggests, this paper explores the continuing value of EAP in Mainland China’s TEFL macro-context in the 21st century from a critical perspective. It starts off by analyzing the increasing demand for academic English in higher education worldwide. Then it moves on to investigate the definition and three critical theoretical underpinnings of university EAP, which distinguish it from general English and other forms of traditional English teaching. The growing trend of integrating rights analysis in the pedagogical practices of university EAP is further discussed to reinforce traditional needs analysis in language education. It ends with a summary of the pedagogical implications of integrating critical language pedagogy in university EAP teaching to open new opportunities for the field from both domestic and international perspectives.