Abstract: With the further development of national strategy on key areas, industries and sectors, ecological risk caused by human planning and exploitation is increasing. Some areas are now facing with negative ecological impacts including environmental pollution, habitat degradation and biodiversity loss, which makes ecological risk assessment (ERA) before the implementation of plans become more urgent. The history of regional ecological risk assessment (RERA) was reviewed, the results, experiences and problems of its mainstream framework at home and abroad summarized, and a framework of RERA suitable for China consisting of four parts, i.e. Risk Problem Formulation, Pressure-State-Response Analysis, and Comprehensive Assessment and Risk Management, presented. In the framework, the input of risk managers and interested parties was enhanced, the regional risk sources summed up, and the contents of comprehensive assessment improved. The framework could promote the application of RERA in China’s planning environmental impact assessment.