Saline and sodic soils occur in large areas on the North China Plain (NCP). This presents a serious problem for sustainable agricultural development in the area. This study identified and characterised saline, sodic and sodic-saline soils on the NCP and recommended some strategies to deal with salinity in the region. Three distinct regions were identified: the coastal, middle and western zones. The parent material of the soils is river alluvium. Illite (Hydromica) is the dominant layer silicate mineral; smectite, kaolinite and chlorite are subdominant.