Gu Xiulian

After graduating in 1961, Gu was assigned to work in China's largest nickel mine of Jinchuan, in poverty stricken Gansu Province of northwest China. She was transferred to Beijing three years later, to join her husband who was working there. While in Beijing, she worked in the Ministry of Textile Industry.^[1]

During the tumultuous years of the Cultural Revolution, the State Planning Commission became paralyzed, and Gu was a member of the Planning Drafting Group which took over the economic planning of China. Working directly under top leaders such as Zhou Enlai, Li Xiannian, and Yu Qiuli, Gu earned the trust of the heavily persecuted "old guard", to whom she showed respect. In 1973, she was elevated to deputy chair of the State Planning Commission in charge of light industry, including textiles.^[1] During her tenure, she encouraged the introduction of technology and investment in consumer industries such as beer brewing and synthetic fiber, meeting consumer demand while increasing government revenue. She 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.^[1] She would continue to serve as a Central Committee member until the end of the 15th Central Committee in 2002.^[2]

In 1982, Gu was transferred to her home province of Jiangsu to serve as CCP Committee Secretary (the party chief was then called "first secretary") in charge of economy. The following year, she was elected Governor of Jiangsu by the Provincial People's Congress, making her the first female provincial governor in the history of the People's Republic of China.^[1][3] During her tenure, she focused her efforts on improving agricultural yields in the poorer northern Jiangsu, while encouraged the development of "village and township enterprises" in the south, taking advantage of its proximity to the major industrial center of Shanghai. The small scale enterprises helped lift peasants out of poverty and were hailed as a model for all of China. She also oversaw the development of large-scale industrial facilities such as Yizheng Chemical Fibre and Qixiashan Chemical Fertilizer Plant.^[1]

In 1989, Gu returned to the national government to serve as Minister of Chemical Industry. She 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. She promoted the modernization of management method and technology in the industry. She 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.^[1] She served as Minister of Chemical Industry until March 1998.^[4]

Gu was Vice Chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation from 1998 to 2003, and Chairwoman from 2003 to 2008. She also concurrently served as a Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress from 2003 to 2008.^[2][4]

On March 6, 2008, following a review by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Bingqian stepped down as Director of the China National Committee for the Wellbeing of the Next Generation, and Gu Xiulian was appointed as Director.^[5]。

Gu Xiulian's husband is said to be a mathematician working for China's Institute of Atomic Energy Research. They have two sons, probably born in the 1970s.^[1]

Political offices
Preceded by Han Peixin	Governor of Jiangsu 1983–1989	Succeeded by Chen Huanyou