As an attacking left-footed midfielder Ma Mingyu would break into the senior team on 30 January 1996, when he made his debut in a qualifier for the 1996 AFC Asian Cup against Macau in a 7–1 victory. In the next qualifying game against the Philippines on 1 February 1996, he would score his first goal in a 7–0 victory. After several friendlies he would go to establish himself as a regular within the squad and then go to the 1996 AFC Asian Cup. At the end of the campaign he had become an integral member within the Chinese team and when Bora Milutinović came in as the new head coach Ma Mingyu would be named as his captain. During his captaincy he would lead China to a fourth-place finish at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup and see the team qualify for their first FIFA World Cup tournament. Once Bora Milutinović left at the end of the campaign Ma Mingyu's international career would also end.