[5] Yang competed in her big international meet in the 2000 World Short Course Championships in Athens, where she won the 200 freestyle in 1:56.06.

Yang competed at the 2001 Fukuoka World Championships and won the silver medal in the Women's 200 m Freestyle event (1:58.78), after Australia's Giaan Rooney (1:58.57).

Yang started the 2003 season strongly by posting a world-leading 1:57.70 at the Chinese Nationals in April 2003, but at the 2003 World Championships (Barcelona), she only managed 3rd in this event (1:58.54).

She posted strong times at the 2005 Chinese National Games, winning the 200 free in 1:57.86, 2nd fastest in the world globally.

She failed to defend her 200 free title at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, beaten by teammate Pang Jiaying (1:59.26 to 2:00.73).