Taking salt-affected soils and salt-affected habitat as the main research objects, salt-affected soil research is a field focusing on genesis and evolution process of salt-affected soils and salinization, on impact and mechanism of environmental factors and human activities on salinization, and on theory and technology of salt-affected soils management, improvement and utilization. With huge area and a wide variety, salinization has prominent impact on agricultural production and ecological environment in China. On salt-affected soil research, the theories and technical methods proposed by Chinese scientists, such as "water and salt regulation", "water and salt balance", "salt-free fertile layer" and "obstacle reduction", have played a positive role in developing agricultural production, improving land productivity, ensuring food security and expanding cultivated land resources. Recently, China has made positive progress and achievements in monitoring the evolution process of soil salinization and multi-source data fusion, simulation and scale expansion of soil water and salt transport process, nutrient circulation-loss control-efficiency increase of salt-affected farmland, ecological reduction of saline obstacles, microbial remediation of saline obstacles, optimal management of irrigation and drainage of saline farmland and safe utilization of marginal water. It is suggested to carry out theoretical and technical research on efficient and safe water use theory and technology for precise salt control of salt-affected soils, green reduction and health conservation of soil salinity barriers, expansion of nutrient storage capacity of saline farmland, carbon increase and emission reduction, coupling response and collaborative adaptation of soil salinization and regional ecology. We should strive to expand the theoretical research and develop new technology for agriculture resources, ecology, environment and other industries and fields, and play more important role in the country's agricultural upgrading, food security, cultivated land security, ecological security and high-quality development. This paper reviews the development process of salt-affected soils research in China and the relationship between domestic and foreign research, systematically analyzes the characteristics and progress of recent salt-affected soils related research, and puts forward the research prospect of salt-affected soils in China in combination with the frontier hotspots and national needs of relevant research at home and abroad.