At the beginning of 1948, he served as the commander-in-chief of the joint self-defense force of teachers and students of Haidian University.
In May 1950, he was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as a staff member of the Cadre Education Section of the Personnel Office of the General Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [zh], and was later promoted to deputy section chief.
In 1960, he served as the Chief of Cuba Section of the American and Australian Department [zh] of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was later assigned as the Second Secretary of the Embassy in Havana.
In 1971, he served as the head of the Foreign Affairs Section of the Hubei Provincial Revolutionary Committee [zh].
In December 1992, the China-Cuba Friendship Association resumed operations, with Yang Mai as vice president.