Abstract: In response to the need to build a national modern water network with the functions of integrated management of water resources, water environment, water ecology, and water disasters in the new era, how to optimize the connection of rivers and lakes to minimize the negative effects and maximize the comprehensive positive effects is an urgent problem in the field of river and lake systems interconnection. considering the multi-functional requirements of river and lake systems interconnection in the new era, the conceptual connotation and characteristics were proposed, and preliminarily analyzed and discussed. On this basis, in line with the new requirements of the water security situation in China for the river and lake systems interconnection, the criteria that should be followed in the optimization of river and lake systems interconnection were preliminarily discussed from the aspects of the “sixteen-character” water conservancy thinking, “12-character” principle, “three before three” principle, equal emphasis on engineering and management, and following the laws of nature and history. It is expected to provide a reference for the further research on the optimization of river and lake systems interconnection.