[citation needed] Zhao served as the head of the Communist Youth League in Zhejiang from December 2003 until November 2006.
On September 28, 2011 Zhao was named Secretary of the Quzhou Municipal Committee, serving in this position for just under a year.
In May of 2012, he was named Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Party Committee, and in June was made a member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, ascending to sub-provincial ranks at the age of 47, becoming the youngest member of the provincial governing council at the time.
[2] On March 26, 2018, Zhao was named CCP Deputy Committee Secretary of Hebei province.
He was elected as the governor on August 25, and served until December 1, 2022, when the Shaanxi Provincial People's Congress accepted his resignation.