He joined Shandong's youth academy at the age of 10 and has spent his entire playing career there since making his debut in 2010.

[1] He received his promotion to the senior team in 2010 when he made his debut for the club in a 1–0 loss against Pohang Steelers on 24 March 2010.

[4] On 23 June 2016, Zheng suffered a rupture of ligament in his left knee in the training, ruling him out for the rest of the season.

Zheng made his debut for the Chinese national team on 6 October 2011 in a 2-1 home win against United Arab Emirates in an international friendly match.

Zheng scored his first two international goals on 15 November 2011 in a 4–0 away win against Singapore during 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.