Influenza pandemics in history all caused immeasurable losses of human life and health. With climate change, population ageing, and increased population mobility due to globalization, the preparedness for influenza pandemics faces even greater challenges. To minimize the negative impacts of a pandemic, comprehensive assessments of influenza pandemic preparedness are needed. This paper introduces a series of guidances and assessment tools developed by different countries and international organizations for influenza pandemic preparedness, and compares their strengths and limitations to provide references and recommendations for the development of assessment tools for influenza pandemic preparedness in China.