After graduating from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University in 1951, he became a staff member of the Personnel Department of the Yumen Mining Bureau of the Northwest Petroleum Administration and director of the Laboratory of the Oil Production Plant, and was promoted to gas injection engineer and deputy party secretary at the Oil Production Plant.
[3] In 1978 he was promoted again to become deputy secretary, director and chief engineer of Yumen Petroleum Management Bureau.
[3] Zhao was transferred to Beijing in 1981 and appointed secretary of the Offshore Oil Exploration Bureau of the Ministry of Petroleum Industry and deputy general manager of China National Offshore Oil Corporation.
[3] He rose to become vice minister and deputy party group secretary of petroleum industry in August 1982.
[3] He was chosen as deputy head of the Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party in January 1988, in addition to serving as vice minister of personnel.