After the Taiwanese professional league, as well as his home club, the Hung Kuo Elephants, came to disbandment due to financial difficulties in 1999, Cheng moved to play for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association in mainland China. Teamed up with the then-adolescent Yao Ming, Cheng helped the young Sharks advance to the finals for the first time in franchise history before they were defeated by the nearly invincible Bayi Rockets. First Taiwanese player to join the top-tier Chinese league, Cheng was selected to play in the postseason all-star game and received the league's sporting ethics award. After one rather successful season in China, Cheng returned to Taiwan to play for Dacin Tigers in the amateur Division-A conference (甲組聯賽) where he ended his playing career in the following year (2001).