Yang was an alternate member of the 14th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

[1] He was a member of the 7th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

[2] In 1966, the Cultural Revolution broke out, he suffered political persecution and was sent to the May Seventh Cadre Schools to do farm works.

[2] Yang was transferred to Beijing in 1979 and appointed director and senior engineer of the Water Resources Research Institute of the Water Resources and Hydropower Science Research Academy and subsequently deputy director and chief engineer of the Haihe Water Conservancy Commission in 1982.

[2] In March 1993, he took office as vice chairperson of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress.