[1] He was eventually promoted to director of the Comprehensive Department of the Policy Research Office in February 1997.
[1] In January 2008, he was made party secretary of Langfang, it would be his first job as "first-in-charge" of a prefecture-level city.
[1] In October 2013, he was appointed secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, concurrently serving as director of Network Work Department since July 2016.
[2] In October 2018, he was chosen as party secretary of China Professionals-Workers Int'l Travelservice Head Office.
[3] On 14 March 2023, Zhao was put under investigation for alleged "serious violations of discipline and laws" by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the party's internal disciplinary body, and the National Supervisory Commission, the highest anti-corruption agency of China.