In 1992, Zhao was called up to China by Klaus Schlappner and included in the Chinese squad for the 1992 AFC Asian Cup, however he did not feature in any of the games. On 28 March 1993, he made his debut for China in a 0–0 draw against United Arab Emirates. He then suffered a left leg ligament tear and quit from the national team. After that, he never got a chance to play for the China national team.