Jian Chen was born in Wuhu, Anhui province, in March 1957. Graduated from the Department of Economics of Anhui University in January 1982, and graduated from Jilin University Graduate School in July 1986. Served as director of China's national population and family planning commission, Zhejiang Wenling city vice mayor, the Chinese academy of social sciences, deputy director of population development laboratory, the Beijing municipal people's government, deputy director of the laboratory, vice President of the Beijing institute of socialism.
Currently, he is the Vice President of China Economic Reform Research Institute, Director of the Beijing Center for the Study of Winter Olympics, and an adjunct professor at many universities, such as Beijing Jiaotong University. He published over 30 books and over 500 academic papers. In the modernization of, regional economy, the Olympic economy, and other areas of research in China have a broad impact.