Chen Guangyi, male, Han nationality, is a native of Putian, Fujian Province. He was born in 1933. An engineering college graduate, he joined the CPC in 1959 but held no national-level Party position until 23 years later when he was elected a member of the 12th CPC Central Committee.Shortly thereafter, he was named governor of Gansu Province. In the interim, he occupied a number of managerial positions in heavy industry and metallurgy in Gansu and from 1980 to 1983 was deputy director of the Gansu Provincial Planning Committee.
From Gansu, he moved back to his home province to chair the 6th CPPCC Fujian Provincial Committee and later the standing commitee of the 8th Fujian Provincial People's Congress. From 1993 to 1998, he was director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Chen was a member of the 12th to the 15th CPC Central Committees and in 1998 became a member of the standing committee of the 9th NPC as well as chairman of its financial and economic committee.