The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals is being fuelled by the widespread use of veterinary antimicrobials. China is the largest global consumer of veterinary antimicrobials, and improving AMR surveillance strategies in this region could help prioritize intervention and preserve antimicrobial efficacy. Here we mapped AMR rates in pigs, chickens and cattle in China using 446 surveys of event-based surveillance between 2000 and 2019 for foodborne bacteria, in combination with geospatial models to identify locations where conducting new surveys could have the highest benefits. Using maps of uncertainty, we show that eastern China currently has the highest AMR rates, and southwestern and northeastern China would benefit the most from additional surveillance efforts. Instead of distributing new surveys evenly across administrative divisions, using geographically targeted surveillance could reduce AMR prediction uncertainty by two-fold. In a context of competing disease control priorities, our findings present a feasible option for optimizing surveillance efforts—and slowing the spread of AMR.