To better understand the sedimentary environment of the rift basin under the influence of a warm global climate, Lingshan Island in eastern Shandong Province (China) was studied. Inorganic geochemical indexes (B, equivalent B, B/Ga, Ga, V, Couch’s palaeosalinity, Adams’s palaeosalinity, Sr/Ba, Sr/Cu, Rb/Sr, Al 2 O 3 /MgO, and CaO/MgO·Al 2 O 3 ) were analyzed and a quantitative calculation of palaeosalinity was carried out based on the Adams and Couch methods. The sedimentary environment of the rift basin at Lingshan Island was determined according to the morphology and distribution of its palaeobiota as well as inorganic geochemical indexes. We demonstrate that eastern China had high-temperature drought-like conditions during the Early Cretaceous, which may have been influenced by the Faraoni event. The dry-hot climate transformed the rift basin at Lingshan Island into saline lacustrine basin. Therefore, the salinization of water was not influenced by seawater but was the response of terrestrial strata to the warm, dry climate. This study helps to understand the sedimentary background of Cretaceous rift basins in eastern China and the influence of a warm climate on China’s terrestrial strata.