He had recommended 12 sluice gates for the Banqiao Dam, but this was scaled back to 5 and Chen Xing was criticized as being too conservative.

[3] In 1961, after problems with the water system surfaced, he was brought back to help.

Chen continued to be an outspoken critic of the system and was again removed from the project.

In the 1980s, Chen participated in the Agri-Energy Roundtable (AER), attending and speaking at several conferences on the world stage and becoming the first Chinese to join AER's board.

In 1984 Chen worked with his provincial governor, He Zhukang, to invite an international investment mission- later organized by AER - which proved successful in attracting world attention to the resources and opportunities in central China.