The formation of supergene potash deposits is a result of multi-layer interaction of the Earth system. Most existing potash deposits in China are concentrated around the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent area with Mesozoic-Cenozoic ages. However, the mechanisms responsible for the accumulation and preservation of potash deposits remain unclear, hindering breakthroughs in potash exploration. This paper reviews recent advancements in the study of potash mineralization in various basins along the periphery of the Tibetan Plateau. The Simao-Khorat potash metallogenic belt was formed during the Middle to Late Cretaceous; however, correlating potash-bearing sequences between basins remains challenging. Potash brines are sourced from seawater, but their source-sink systems in continental environments are influenced by tectonic, geomorphological and climatic factors. A model of aeolian sandstone-potash salt sigmoidal cross-stratification is proposed under arid conditions. In the Sichuan Basin, the second submember of the fourth member of the Jialingjiang Formation is a favorable period for solid potash salt formation. The second submember of the fifth member of the Jialingjiang Formation to the first submember of the first member of the Leikoupo Formation, as well as the second submember of the fourth member of the Leikoupo Formation, are favorable periods for the accumulation of potash-rich brines. However, the genesis and models of solid potash salts and potash-rich brines require further research. The potash mineralization in the Qarhan Salt Lake is characterized by short-term bursts since the Late Pleistocene. Surface river water may be an important recharge source, and tectonic activity has a significant controlling effect on the migration of salt basins and the concentration of deep brines. We propose that tectonic and paleogeographic factors are core scientific questions constraining the marine/continental potash mineralization and preservation, controlling the paleoclimate, seawater composition changes, and basin closure conditions of evaporite-bearing basins, as well as post-potash formation alteration, deformation, and preservation. Future research should focus on Earth system science thinking, with tectonic-paleogeography as the main line, innovating potash formation models suitable for the geological regularities of every single basin. The key to future potash exploration breakthroughs is to clarify the issues of post-potash formation tectonic alteration and preservation. This paper proposes future research and exploration directions in the Tarim, Sichuan, and Simao basins.