A year later he was admitted to the People's Public Security University of China, and began pursuing a career in policing.

Tao received his associate degree in English from China Foreign Affairs University in 1959.

[citation needed] In October 1975, Tao returned to work, first at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, then as secretary to General Luo Ruiqing.

He left active politics in 1998 and began sitting on the National People's Congress Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee.

[citation needed] Tao was the member of the 14th and 15th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party from 1992 to 2002.