Zhao Jianfei would play for the Shandong Luneng (now renamed Shandong Taishan) youth team and the various age groups for the Chinese national team.[1] At the start of the 2018 Chinese Super League he was officially promoted to the Shandong senior team.[2] He would eventually go on to make his debut in a league game on 14 April 2019 against Dalian Yifang in 1-0 defeat.[3] While on duty with the Chinese U23 team at the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship during a press conference Zhao claimed that his monthly contract was 20,000 Yuan at Shandong.[4]
On 30 September 2020, he was loaned out to fellow top tier club Shijiazhuang Ever Bright for the remainder of the 2020 Chinese Super League season.[5] On his return to Shandong he would be used as a squad player within the team and would gain his first league title with the club when he was part of the team that won the 2021 Chinese Super League title.[6] This would be followed up by him winning the 2022 Chinese FA Cup with them the next season.[7]