Between 1998 and 1999 Huang took on a one-year stint pursuing his Executive MBA at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai.

[1] Huang was transferred to work in Chongqing in 2001, several years after the city was elevated to "Direct-controlled Municipality" status equivalent to that of Shanghai.

Huang was considered a key political ally of Bo Xilai, who abruptly fell out of favour with the national leadership following the Wang Lijun incident in February 2012.

Huang left his post as mayor of Chongqing City on 29 December 2016; he then became Vice-Chair of the National People's Congress Financial and Economic Affairs Committee.

[5] Huang has stated his opposition to the Hukou system, which he believes is unnecessarily reducing the competitiveness of older Chinese workers.