Abstract: As an important non-market strategic resource, political connection plays an important role in the R&D of private enterprises. Yet current research has not systematically explored the contingent influence of micro-level entrepreneurial spirit and macro-level external innovation pressure on the relationship between political connection and firm innovation. Using data from the 2016 All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Private Enterprise Survey, we empirically examine how entrepreneurs' internal value and external innovation pressure affect the relationship between political connection and R&D investment. Results show that political connections of private enterprises have a positive relationship with R&D investment tendency and scale. Entrepreneurship and external innovation pressure positively regulate the relationship between political connections and R&D. This denotes that the resource effect brought by the political connection as a complementary strategic non-market resource increases enterprises’ innovation motivation. Entrepreneurs' use of political connection as non-market strategic resources is not only an initiative to reduce innovation risks, but also an important proactive responding to external innovation pressure so as to improve innovation capabilities. Drawing from the entrepreneurial decision perspective and upper echelon theory, this study generates novel insights on the relationship between political connection and firm innovation, providing practical enlightenment for firms to optimize their innovation strategies and accelerate innovation development.