He began working in March 1973 as a teacher at Lianxing Elementary School in Chengbu, and joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in September 1974.

[2] In September 1975, Chen entered the electrical engineering department of National University of Defense Technology in Changsha, majoring in radar countermeasure.

From 1998 to 2000 he was Director of the education department of the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND).

[1] Along with Ma Xingrui and Zhang Qingwei, Chen was one of a growing number of high regional officials in his generation who rose through the aerospace industry.

[5] On 17 October 2020, Chen was appointed the Deputy Chairperson of the National People's Congress Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee.