[Objective] Priming effect (PE) plays a critical role in the storage and turnover of soil organic carbon (SOC) in forest ecosystems. The intensity and direction of the priming effect, induced by litters, usually depend on the availability of limited nutrient (e.g., phosphorus, P), especially in subtropical highly weathered forest soils. However, how P and litters addition affect the soil priming effect in this region is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of litter and phosphorus addition on SOC mineralization and priming effects in subtropical low-phosphorus soils and to provide a theoretical basis for the study of the carbon cycle in forest ecosystems in this region.[Method] Three kinds of ¹³C-labeled litters (Pinus massoniana, Michelia macclurei and Liquidambar formosana) and P (KH₂PO₄) were added to P. massoniana forest soil. The incubation of treated and control soils was conducted for 35 days in the laboratory. The physical and chemical properties, microbial properties and priming effect of the soils were determined after incubation.[Result] The results showed that the addition of the three kinds of litters significantly increased the soil native SOC mineralization, and produced a positive priming effect. The intensity of priming effect performance for P. massoniana > M. macclurei > L. formosana. In addition, litters addition decreased the content of soil inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium nitrogen, IN), but increased microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP), and β-glucosidase (βG) and acid phosphatase (ACP) activities. P addition alone significantly enhanced SOC mineralization, and the available phosphorus (AP), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), MBN, and MBP were also increased. Compared with the addition of litters alone treatment, the M. macclurei and L. formosana litters combined with P addition significantly reduced the priming effect and ACP activity. Linear regression analysis revealed that the cumulative priming effect was correlated negatively with soil AP, MBN and MBP content, whereas it was positively correlated with ACP activities.[Conclusion] The addition of litters stimulated microbial growth and as such promoted SOC mineralization and produced a positive priming effect. Also, the intensity of priming was mainly related to the quality of litters. Although P addition alone increased SOC mineralization, the influence of P added with litters on soil priming effect was dependent on the litter types; with low-quality litter having a lower soil priming effect.