In response to Guo Wengui's allegations that Wu Zheng is a senior spy for the Chinese Communist Party, Wu Zheng and Yang Lan filed a lawsuit against Guo Wengui in a New York court as plaintiffs, accusing him of defamation and harassment.
Yang Lan delivered a cultural-themed presentation in Moscow on behalf of Beijing's Olympic bid. That same September, she sold her stake in Sunshine Culture to Sina, after which Wu Zheng became co-chairman of Sina.
Wu Zheng and Yang Lan took control of a Hong Kong-listed company and transformed it into Sunshine Culture, with Yang Lan serving as chairman. At the same time, she founded Sunshine TV, which was later granted access to some of China's cable networks.
Yang Lan ended her first marriage and married Wu Zheng in 1995, after which the two began conducting business and media activities in both China and the United States.
After recording the special episode of the Zhengda Variety Show, Yang Lan flew to New York, successively studying at New York University and Columbia University, during which time she met Wu Zheng.