 He died in the crash of a Tupolev Tu-104 in Kanash, Chuvashia, Soviet Union during the journey.Zheng started his journalistic career in the 1920s during the May Fourth Movement.Together with some classmates including Zhong Tao (仲陶), he got a first taste of editing in starting a publication named "Jiuguo Jiangyan Zhoukan" (救國講演周刊).