Pretreated Mg-Li alloy sheets were pre-plated in a NiCO3?2Ni(OH)2?4H2O solution to form a thin Ni-P alloy film and then plating in a NiSO4?6H2O solution was carried out to obtain a protective coating.The surface morphology,structure and corrosion resistance of the coating were studied.The results showed that a flat,bright and compact plating layer,which was integrated into the matrix metal,was obtained.The P content of the Ni-P coating reached 13.56%(mass fraction).The hardness value of the Ni-P coating was about HV 549.The polarization curve showed that the corrosion potential of the Ni-P coating reached ?0.249 V(vs SCE).A long passivation region was found on the polarization curve,and this phenomenon indicated that the coating has an excellent anti-corrosion property.