Abstract: Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has become an institutional framework that aligned well with China's national conditions since its introduction into China for more than 40 years. Based on the literatures in the Web of Science (WoS) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases from 1980 to 2020, this study investigated the development and trends of EIA-related studies in the past 40 years in China and abroad by using the CiteSpace approach. Specifically, the research skills and capacity, spatial and temporal distribution characteristics were compared, and the hot topics were summarized as well. Based on the empirical findings of cluster analysis, the evolutionary characteristics of key fields of EIA in China were clarified from four aspects, including direction, guidance, institutional and technical systems. The development trend of EIA was briefly put forward. It is noted that, compared with the increasing attentions on the EIA study in the international academic community, the focus in this area in China declined. The lack of academic influence and interdisciplinary research restricted the self-reform and innovation ability of EIA. In order to effectively improve China's EIA studies and practices for supporting high-quality economic development and high-level environmental protection, it is essential to learn from international advanced technologies and take the advantages of the institutional superiority of EIA. It is also necessary to strengthen the interdisciplinary research of EIA and other disciplines such as public management. Integration of global issues such as biodiversity and climate change, and the overall design of economic and technological policy environmental assessment into EIA should be improved. Meanwhile, more actions should be taken to introduce China's EIA practice to the international academic community, which will help enhance the academic influence of EIA, and then create a ‘world-class EIA system in the Chinese context’.