When he was a university student, he served as the president of the students union of his department. In 1968, he began to work as a technician with the Shenyang Swithchgear Plant of Liaoning Province. Beginning in 1975, he was vice-chairman of the Revolutionary Committee and a member of the CPC standing committee of the Shenyang Electric Industry Company; manager and deputy Party secretary of Shenyang Electric Controlling Equipment Industrial Company. In 1980, he served as vice-director and deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of Shenyang City Electric Engineering Bureau. In 1981, he was appointed deputy secretary-general of the CPC Shenyang Municipal Committee. He was promoted to the post of vice-mayor of Shenyang and concurrently chairman of Shenyang City Economic Committee in 1982, and in the following year became secretary of CPC Shenyang Municipal Committee and concurrently mayor of Shenyang. In 1985, he became deputy secretary of CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and concurrently secretary of CPC Shenyang Municipal Committee. From 1986 to 1990, he served as acting governor of Liaoning Province, deputy secretary of CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee, and governor of Liaoning Province. From 1990 to 1998, he served as deputy secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee, acting governor and governor of Henan, secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee, and chairman of the Standing Committee of Eighth Henan Provincial People's Congress. In February 1998, he was appointed secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, and was reelected to office in May 2002.

He was an alternate member of the 12th and a member of the 13th and 14th CPC Central Committee. Now he is a member and also the member of the Political Bureau of the 15th CPC Central Committee.

He was deputy to the sixth, seventh and eighth National People's Congress and is also one to the ninth congress.