Gu Xiulian is a retired Chinese politician who was the first female provincial governor in the People's Republic of China.
16 Facts About Gu Xiulian
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Gu Xiulian served as Governor of Jiangsu from 1983 to 1989, Minister of Chemical Industry from 1989 to 1998, Vice Chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress, and Chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation.
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Gu Xiulian was born into a peasant family in Nantong, Jiangsu Province in December 1936.
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Gu Xiulian studied at Nantong Girls' Normal School and then Nantong Third High School, and was offered much help from the headmistress and a fellow student, to whom she showed much gratitude after her rise to prominence.
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Gu Xiulian joined the Chinese Communist Party in September 1956.
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Gu Xiulian entered Benxi Iron and Steel College in 1958, and then transferred to Shenyang College of Metallurgy and Mechanics.
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Gu Xiulian was transferred to Beijing three years later, to join her husband who was working there.
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Gu Xiulian became an alternate member of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 1977, and a full member of the 12th Central Committee in 1982.
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Gu Xiulian would continue to serve as a Central Committee member until the end of the 15th Central Committee in 2002.
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Gu Xiulian oversaw the development of large-scale industrial facilities such as Yizheng Chemical Fibre and Qixiashan Chemical Fertilizer Plant.
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Gu Xiulian set the goal of making 10 billion dollars of export revenue, and attracting 10 billion yuan of foreign investment at the end of the 20th century.
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Gu Xiulian promoted the modernization of management method and technology in the industry.
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Gu Xiulian visited many foreign countries, and struck deals with leading international chemical companies such as Bayer, DuPont, and Eastman to set up joint ventures in China.
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Gu Xiulian served as Minister of Chemical Industry until March 1998.
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Gu Xiulian concurrently served as a Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress from 2003 to 2008.
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Gu Xiulian's husband is said to be a mathematician working for China's Institute of Atomic Energy Research.