Liaoning. Yang Xiyu was born in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. From 2005 to 2007, he was a visiting scholar in the Department of Political Science of Stanford University. He used to be the Political Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the United States, the Political Counselor of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations and the Director of the Korean Peninsula Affairs Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yang Xiyu enjoys special government allowance from the State Council.