Successful natural regeneration facilitates progressive canopy recruitment in Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) plantations in the Loess Plateau, thereby effectively mitigating soil fertility declines and structural instability in forest stands. This study focused mainly on the critical issue of restricted height growth of Chinese pine regeneration during canopy recruitment. In eight mature Chinese pine plantations, one 50 m & times; 50 m plot was established in each stand to systematically investigate the distribution and growth characteristics of canopy trees, Chinese pine regeneration, and other understory trees and shrubs. The relationships among the population structure, interspecific interactions and height growth of Chinese pine regeneration were elucidated, with the aim of optimizing their height growth conditions. The results revealed that extensive regeneration of Chinese pine (1206-11,444 stems & sdot;ha-1) occurred underneath the canopy, but their height growth was generally slow, with an average annual height increment of only 6.9-12.2 cm & sdot;year-1 . Individuals whose current height increment exceeded 25 cm accounted for only 7.8% of the total regeneration population. After eliminating the effects of height and age on regeneration height growth, we found that understory woody plant species that were taller than the target regeneration within a 2-m radius exerted a significant competitive inhibition effect on height growth. Moreover, the current height growth of the target regeneration tree could be substantially increased by the following management measures. Specifically, maintaining approximately 20 understory woody plants taller than the target regeneration within a 2-m radius of target regeneration, and limiting the number of canopy trees to approximately 4 individuals within a 5-m radius of target regeneration. Additionally, understory woody plant species, including Quercus wutaishansea, Populus davidiana, and Spiraea pubescens, maintained relatively favorable interspecific relationships with Chinese pine regeneration. Therefore, the implementation of selective thinning to remove overly dense canopy trees and understory woody plants (while retaining Q. wutaishansea, P. davidiana, and S. pubescens) is recommended to facilitate canopy recruitment and the development of a multilayered, uneven-aged stand structure in Chinese pine plantations.