Zhao Chengxi, male, Han nationality, is a native of Beijing. He was born in 1940 and graduated from the Missile Department of Harbin Military Engineering in 1965.
Zhao has enjoyed a long and varied career. A member of the PLA, he spent 27 years with the PLA Air Force Ground-to-Air Missile Unit where he was a commander with a company, battalion, and regiment division. In 1988, he was promoted to professional senior colonel by Deng Xiaoping.
In 1992, he moved to the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources where he became Party secretary of the ministry's Institute of Geology. During the three years he spent at the ministry, from 1992 to 1995, he also served as standing deputy director at the Institute.
After his time at the ministry, he became Party secretary at the Beijing Geology Administrative Staff College. In 1999, he became a researcher at the colonel level at China Geology University in Beijing.