He once served as deputy director of the Organization Department of the CPC Yushu County Committee, deputy secretary of CPC Yushu County Committee, and deputy secretary of CPC Baicheng Profectural Committee of Jilin Province. Since 1985 he began to work as a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee, director of the Jilin Provincial Office for Rural Policy Research and director of the Rural Work Department of CPC Jilin Provincial Committee until he was appointed vice-governor of Jilin Province in 1987. In 1990, he became deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, and was appointed deputy secretary of CPC Hubei Provincial Committee in 1992. In February 1995, he was elected deputy secretary of CPC Anhui Provincial Committee and governor of Anhui Province. From August 1998 to October 1998, he served as secretary of CPC Anhui Provincial Committee and concurrently governor of Anhui, and secretary of CPC Anhui Provincial Committee. Hui was appointed secretary of CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee in December 1999.