Abstract: Insufficiency of water resources will be a major factor that constraints the sustainable development of agriculture in the arid and semi arid areas of China For land resources, vast arid and semi arid areas will inevitably play a strategic role in agricultural development of the country in the 21st century. In the paper, favorite and reverse factors for the sustainable development of agriculture in these areas were discussed Experiences, both abroad and at home, of successful development of agriculture in the similar areas were briefed Suggestions on the strategies of sustainable agricultural development in the arid and semi arid areas of China were advanced.