Here she is: China’s youngest female provincial governor makes her debut!

It was officially announced recently that Shi Xiaolin has been appointed Vice Governor and Acting Governor of Sichuan Province.

She is the first female governor in Sichuan’s history and the first Chengdu Party Secretary to be promoted to governor this century.

With her appointment, there will now be three female provincial-level government heads nationwide. The other two are:

Liang Huiling, Governor of Heilongjiang Province, and Wang Lixia, Chairperson of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Government.

At the same time, Shi Xiaolin is one of only two youngest heads of provincial-level administrative units nationwide; the youngest is Yin Yong, Mayor of Beijing.

It is worth noting that she is the official with the most extensive cross-provincial work experience, having served in Shanghai, Jiangxi, and Sichuan.

As the helmsmen of economic development, local leaders play an undeniable role in urban strategic planning, internal and external coordination, and the practical implementation of investment promotion.

01 Formerly the Youngest Top Leader of a Provincial Capital

Following the 20th National Congress, there has been a greater emphasis on the cultivation and selection of female officials to leverage their significant contributions.

Shi Xiaolin, who has worked in Shanghai for 25 years, is distinguished by her extensive grassroots experience and achievements in the field of social governance.

Between 2002 and 2013, Shi Xiaolin served in various districts of Shanghai, including Zhabei, Nanhui, Hongkou, and Putuo, holding positions such as Party Working Committee Secretary of the Linfen Community (Subdistrict) in Zhabei District, Deputy District Governor of Nanhui District, Deputy District Governor of Hongkou District, and Deputy Secretary of the Hongkou District Party Committee.

Extensive grassroots experience is one of Shi Xiaolin’s defining characteristics. The Linfen Road Subdistrict (Community), which she once led, has served as a national model for community Party building and grassroots governance, attracting visits from numerous Party and state leaders.

From 2013 to 2015, Shi Xiaolin was elected Director and Party Group Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs, Party Group Secretary of the Municipal Bureau of Social Organizations, and Secretary of the Putuo District Party Committee.

Her career in the civil affairs system provided Shi Xiaolin with a broader platform to leverage her expertise in social governance and social welfare.

In May 2017, Shi Xiaolin was appointed to the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and concurrently served as Minister of the United Front Work Department. She was the only woman on the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee leadership at the time and became the youngest female member of a provincial Party Standing Committee nationwide.

In May 2018, Shi Xiaolin took on her first cross-provincial assignment, serving as a member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Publicity Department.

During her tenure in Jiangxi, Shi Xiaolin stated her commitment to transforming Jiangxi into the premier destination for revolutionary tourism, the most beautiful ecological tourism destination, and a hub for experiencing China’s outstanding traditional culture, with the goal of building a world-renowned tourist destination and further promoting the “Jiangxi’s Scenery Is Unparalleled” brand.

In August 2021, Shi Xiaolin moved to another province once again, assuming the roles of Standing Committee Member of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee. At that time, she was the youngest “top leader” among all provincial capitals and the 15 sub-provincial cities nationwide.

Significantly, Shi Xiaolin was the first female Party Secretary of Chengdu since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and also the first Party Secretary of Chengdu to assume office directly after transferring from another province.

During her tenure, she implemented a series of significant economic and social policies. She placed particular emphasis on technological innovation and industrial development, driving rapid economic growth in Chengdu through measures such as attracting high-end talent and optimizing the business environment.

At the same time, she focused on the well-being of the people and was committed to improving the standard of living for citizens. Under her leadership, Chengdu not only achieved remarkable economic success but also reached new heights in areas such as technological innovation and cultural prosperity.

02 Building Industrial Clusters and Strengthening Supply Chains Becomes a Key City Identity

After Chengdu’s population surpassed 20 million, Shi Xiaolin’s appointment brought a social governance system commensurate with the city’s stature.

Furthermore, since her arrival, the city has seized the opportunity presented by the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Dual-City Economic Circle, coordinating efforts in education, science and technology, and talent development, while exploring how the government can play an organizational role in key core technologies.

“Building Industrial Clusters and Strengthening Supply Chains”—this has become a familiar new term within Chengdu’s political circles.

As head of Chengdu’s Leading Group for Industrial Cluster Development and Supply Chain Strengthening, Shi Xiaolin focuses on highlighting the central role of enterprises in technological innovation.

With the help of technological innovation, Chengdu is accelerating the cultivation of two trillion-yuan and eight hundred-billion-yuan industrial clusters. It is promoting the accelerated development of two national strategic emerging industrial clusters—biopharmaceuticals and rail transit equipment—as well as three national advanced manufacturing clusters: electronic information, high-end energy equipment, and software and information services.

Speaking to “Focus Interview,” Shi Xiaolin stated:

We will further leverage the leading role of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, build industrial clusters and strengthen industrial chains, and promote the deep integration of innovation chains, industrial chains, capital chains, and talent chains. This will further facilitate the transformation of scientific and technological innovation achievements and drive the collaborative development of advanced manufacturing clusters within the Chengdu-Chongqing Dual-City Economic Circle and the Chengdu Metropolitan Area.

Sichuan occupies a significant position in China’s economic landscape. It serves as a leading force in the western economy and is a key recipient of central government fiscal transfers.

Sichuan is the only province in the western region whose total economic output has surpassed the 5 trillion yuan threshold. It is the nation’s largest clean energy base, one of the three major power equipment manufacturing bases, and one of the 13 major grain-producing provinces. Sichuan’s economic data is also impressive.

Currently, Sichuan’s economic output has surpassed the 6 trillion yuan threshold—in 2023, the province achieved a regional GDP of 6,013.29 billion yuan, representing a 6.0% year-on-year increase at constant prices. Sichuan’s economic output has risen to fifth place nationwide.

On June 28, an expanded meeting of the Party Leadership Group of the Sichuan Provincial Government emphasized the need to spare no effort in boosting the economy and advancing development, and to earnestly fulfill the responsibility of a major economic province to “truly shoulder the main burden.” A few days after the meeting, Shi Xiaolin conducted an inspection of the province’s economic operations.

She successively inspected work related to economic performance monitoring and coordination, the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Dual-City Economic Circle and regional coordinated development, energy system development, and energy and power supply guarantees for the summer peak demand period.

At this stage, as the newly appointed Acting Governor, Shi Xiaolin is focused on fully implementing major initiatives such as the Western Development Strategy in the New Era and the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. She aims to further address weaknesses, strengthen strengths, and leverage advantages, with a focus on bolstering the real economy, expanding investment, stimulating consumption, and stabilizing growth, while prioritizing high-quality projects and ensuring high-quality project execution.

A new beginning hinges on implementation. As a seasoned senior leader, Shi Xiaolin possesses extensive governance experience and exceptional professional capabilities, which will undoubtedly bring new opportunities and challenges to Sichuan’s development.

This appointment not only marks a new round of personnel adjustments within the Sichuan Provincial Government but also heralds a new chapter in the province’s future development—one that is certainly worth watching.