Chen rated among the world's leading singles players when China entered the International Badminton Federation (now Badminton World Federation) in 1981. The powerful Changjie won the first major IBF sanctioned tournament in which China participated, the multi-sport 1981 World Games in Santa Clara, California, by successively beating Prakash Padukone and Morten Frost in the semifinal and final rounds. He helped China to win the 1982 Thomas Cup (world men's team championship) by winning three of his four matches in the last two rounds against Denmark and Indonesia. In 1983 Changjie won the Asian Championships in a grueling duel with Indonesia's Eddy Kurniawan The following year Changjie married Zhang Ailing, a brilliant player on the Chinese women's team, and neither appeared in international competition after 1984.