Since the 1990s, most developed countries have issued the risk-based environmental standards or criteria for soil, as well as corresponding technical background documents, this provides methodological references for developing soil environmental standards and criteria in developing countries. However, because of the variability in legislation frameworks, derivation procedures of criteria, environmental conditions and climates, soil types, and habits and customs among countries, there are great differences in the names, roles and values of soil standards and criteria. This paper presents the scientific basis and fundamental features of soil environmental criteria. The definitions, functions and values of the soil environmental criteria in different countries were compared and analyzed. Key technologies for the development of soil environmental criteria and critical influence factors were summarized and analyzed, with special respect to the classification of land use types, setting of exposure scenarios and pathways, selection of acceptable risk levels for carcinogens, and the determination of exposure parameters. Strategies and countermeasures for the development of local or regional soil environmental criteria in China were proposed by referring to international experiences, and the current difficulties and challenges faced by China in the development of soil environmental criteria were discussed and addressed.