In this work, we propose a new generation of high-resolution strain rate model of present-day continental China from up-to-date GNSS observation data of 3571 stations. To reconcile the sparsely distributed GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) velocity data into an integrated vastly regional spherical coordinate frame, a novel interpolation method, namely the spherical spline method, is introduced as well. It can simultaneously calculate the strain rate with an ideal order of continuity while preserving the discontinuity from tectonically active major fault zones or deforming blocks. We take advantage of a set of inspection standards to assess the validity and resolution of our proposed model. The spherical spline method is deliberately examined and justified to fit the GNSS velocity data to illustrate inspection standards. Moreover, we construct a spherical harmony model for the resolution test. By the test criteria, the spherical spline method can reproduce the velocity and strain rate field at substantial order, suggesting that our method has high applicability and resolution in estimating strain rate in active tectonic regions or even global models. Finally, using the spherical spline method, we used measured GNSS velocity data to calculate the strain rate field in continental China. We also analyze the correlation between the seismic mechanism and the strain rate field of earthquakes, exhibiting that our proposed high-resolution strain rate model has great potential in explaining the deformation or evolution models of continental China.