Abstract: The arid and semi-arid regions in China are extremely sensitive and fragile areas, accounting for more than one-third of the total land area. A large amount of research has been conducted over the past century on climate change in arid and semi-arid regions of China. Currently, it is urgent to form a relatively systematic and complete scientific understanding through systematic summarization and induction, and further condense some important scientific consensus. Therefore, based on the literature on climate change and its impacts in arid and semi-arid regions of China over the past century, this article summarizes and sorts out the development process of regional climate change and its impacts research from three aspects: research data, research methods, and research objects. In addition, some important scientific understandings have been summarized and condensed from four aspects: the formation and area changes of arid and semi-arid regions, the characteristics of climate change in arid and semi-arid regions, the driving factors of climate change in arid and semi-arid regions, and the impact of climate change in arid and semi-arid regions. On this basis, six key directions for future research on climate change and its impacts in arid and semi-arid regions of China were proposed. This article will have important scientific significance for further promoting and conducting research on climate change and its impacts in arid and semi-arid regions of China in the future.