Yang was born in
Yingcheng County (now Yingcheng),
Hubei, in September 1942. He enlisted in the
People's Liberation Army (PLA) in December 1963, and joined the
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in October 1964. From February 1974 to March 1977, he was a secretary of the Secretariat of the Political Department of
Wuhan Military District. Then he was assigned to the
People's Liberation Army Ground Force. In August 1985, he was promoted to become director of the Political Department of the
42nd Group Army, a position he held until October 1989, when he was appointed director of the Political Department of PLA Academy of Military Economics. He was political commissar of PLA Academy of Military Economics in June 1990, but having held the position for only a year and a half. He was appointed director of the Political Division of
People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department, in December 1991, becoming deputy political commissar and secretary of Discipline Inspection Commission in December 1994. In May 1999, he was commissioned as political commissar of the
Chengdu Military Region, he remained in that position until 2003, when he was transferred to
Guangzhou Military Region and chosen as political commissar. In March 2008, he took office as vice chairperson of the
National People's Congress Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee. He was promoted to the rank of
major general (
shaojiang) in July 1990,
lieutenant general (
zhongjiang) in July 1996, and
general (
shangjiang) in June 2004. ==References==