Chen Xiaohong was born in September 1953 in Changle, Fujian Province. He began working in October 1971 as a factory worker at the Tianjin Roller and Forging Parts Factory. In September 1978, he entered the Department of Pharmacy at Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (now Beijing University of Chinese Medicine), where he completed his undergraduate studies and received a bachelor's degree in July 1982. In June 1982, he joined the Chinese Communist Party.
After graduation, Chen remained at Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where he successively served as Communist Youth League secretary of the Department of Pharmacy, political counselor for students, deputy director and later director of the university's Student Affairs Department, and director of the university office. In March 1993, he was appointed deputy secretary of the university's Party committee.[3]
In October 1994, Chen transferred to the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, serving as director of its General Office. From June 1996, he concurrently headed the General Office (Finance Department) and became a member of the administration's party leadership group. In October 1998, he moved to the Ministry of Health, where he served as director of the General Office, concurrently director of the Ministry's Service Center, and director of the Department of Planning and Finance.[1]
In December 2004, Chen was appointed a member of the party leadership group of the Ministry of Health, and in January 2005 he was promoted to vice minister of health, a position he held until April 2013.[4][5] Following the institutional reform of China's health administration, he served from April 2013 to December 2014 as deputy director and party leadership group member of the National Health and Family Planning Commission. He stepped down from this post in December 2014 upon reaching the statutory retirement age.[6]
Chen was also a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[7]