Yi was born in Changsha, Hunan, in December 1951. He studied economics at Peking University from October 1973 to January 1977. After graduation, he worked at the Beijing Economic Research Institute from 1977 to 1984. In April 1984, Yi joined the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), serving in its International Liaison Department. Between 1987 and 1992, he was a commercial secretary (Third and Second Secretary) at the Chinese Embassy in the United States.[2]
From 1992 to 1996, Yi served as deputy director and Director of Division Two, Department of International Economic Relations at MOFTEC and the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Between 1996 and 2000, he was Deputy Director-General of the department, during which he also pursued a master's degree in world economics at Nankai University (1996–1999). From 2000 to 2003, he served as Director-General of the Department of International Economic Relations at MOFTEC and the Ministry of Commerce.[3] Between July 2003 and October 2005, Yi was a member of the Ministry of Commerce Party Leadership Group and Assistant Minister, concurrently serving as Deputy International Trade Representative from April 2005. From 2005 to September 2010, he was Vice Minister of Commerce and member of the Party Leadership Group, overseeing the Department of International Cooperation, WTO Affairs Department, Services Trade Department, the Ministry's Exchange Center, WTO Research Association, and Asia-Pacific Trade Promotion Association. He was relieved of the vice minister position on 15 September 2010.[4][5]
In December 2010, Yi was appointed Permanent Representative and Ambassador of China to the World Trade Organization, and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland.[6] In August 2013, he was appointed Deputy Director-General of the WTO by the then-Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, becoming the first Chinese national to hold the role.[7]