The Chinese species of Phorocardius Fleutiaux, 1931 have been studied and six species are described as new: P. alterlineatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov.; P. flavistriolatus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov.; P. minutus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov.; P. rufiposterus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov.; P. yunnanensis Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov.; and P. zhiweii Ruan, Douglas & Qiu, sp. nov. Lectotypes are designated for Cardiophorus comptus Candèze, 1860, Cardiophorus contemptus Candèze, 1860, Phorocardius magnus Fleutiaux, 1931, and Cardiophorus manuleatus Candèze, 1888. The holotype is identified for Cardiophorus yanagiharae Miwa, 1927. Phorocardius florentini (Fleutiaux, 1895) and P. manuleatus (Candèze, 1888) are newly reported from China; P. comptus (Candèze, 1860) is excluded from the Chinese fauna. A key to the 11 Phorocardius species known from China is given. Phorocardius is newly recorded from deep within the Palearctic Region. The procoxal cavities of P. rufiposterus Ruan & Douglas, sp. nov. are closed, which is different from all other species of Phorocardius. An annotated checklist of the 21 Phorocardius species of the world is provided. Additionally, Phorocardius contemptus (Candèze, 1860), comb. nov. is transferred from Cardiophorus to Phorocardius; four species are transferred from Phorocardius to Displatynychus: Displatynychus bombycinus (Candèze, 1895), comb. nov., Displatynychus pakistanicus (Platia & Ahmed, 2016), comb. nov., Displatynychus sobrinus (Laporte, 1840), comb. nov., and Displatynychus tibialis (Platia & Ahmed, 2016), comb. nov.