After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chen served as vice-president of the Fujian provincial branch of the People's Bank of China and deputy director of the Comprehensive Planning Bureau of the State Planning Commission.[2][3] He was persecuted at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, but was rehabilitated and became director of the Comprehensive Planning Bureau in December 1968. He also served as director of the National Bureau of Statistics of China from 1974 to 1981. In 1982 he became deputy director of the State Planning Commission.[2][3]