[1] In 1939, Zhao's family moved to Manchukuo, the Japanese-controlled puppet state in Northeast China, and settled in Yongji County, Jilin Province.

When Japan surrendered in 1945 at the end of World War II, Chinese rule was restored in Northeast China and Korea regained its independence.

[1] Zhao evacuated the cave where the PVA headquarters were located just before American planes bombed it and killed Mao Anying in November 1950.

[1] Zhao distinguished himself during the celebrated Battle of Triangle Hill in October 1952, when the unit under his command braved American aerial bombing and transported 30,000 grenades from Andong, China to the 15th Corps in the front line within 15 hours.

[1] After the Korean War, Zhao served in the Yanbian Military Subdistrict as a political officer[2] and attained the rank of colonel in 1965.

[4] In March 1985, Zhao was promoted to Deputy Director of the People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department (GLD).

[5] In July 1995, Zhao officially retired from the People's Liberation Army, marked the end of his 50 years long military career.

In April 2000, he paid an official visit to South Korea; it was the first time he returned to his place of birth since he left at the age of 12.