Shen Xiaoqin, of the Han nationality, became a student of Business Administration in 2013 at the Open University of China (OUC), and has served as Party Branch secretary and Village Committee director of Beisha Village Committee, Lishui Town, Nanhai District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, as well as chair of Foshan Aiqin Jewelry.
She was named a Female Agricultural Expert from 1989 to 1993, an Outstanding Youth of Lishui Town in 1997, a March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetter and Female Entrepreneur Love Ambassador of Nanhai District in 2008, a March 8th Red-flag Bearer of Guangdong Province and one of the Top 10 Women of Lishui Town in 2009, and a March 8th Red-flag Bearer of Guangdong Province in 2010. In 2011, she was elected deputy to the People's Congress and Party representative for Naihai District, Foshan City and Guangdong Province. In 2012, she became a deputy to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, was named one of the Ten Outstanding Women of South Guangdong, a March 8th Red-flag Bearer of Guangdong Province, and a “Star of Kindness in Thought and Action” of Nanhai District. In 2013, she was named an Outstanding Representative of the Workers and Farmers Party and the “Most Influential Person” in Guangdong; in 2014, she was selected as a National March 8th Red-flag Bearer.
From Business Owner to Village Party Secretary
"For me, being elected as a grass-roots Party representative of Foshan was both exciting and moving, putting pressure on me but giving me motivation. My thought is that it is a collective honour." Shen Xiaoqin has been saying this since she was elected deputy to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Shen Xiaoqin was born into a poor peasant family in Beisha Village, the second of six children. Poor children are forced to become independent quickly. To help support the family, she learned to work as a blacksmith at age 12, and began to sell fish at a stall in the village at 13. Later, seeing that the village fish pond was not operating efficiently, she rented more than 100 mu of land and with the consent of her family, at age 17, began cultivating pearls. However, lack of technology and experience meant that she almost lost half a year of hard work, harvesting only shells. After two years, she was down nearly 300,000 yuan, but refused to give up, and after four years of intensive study, and long days and nights on the farm, she finally succeeded in cultivating high-quality pearls, which sold well in Hong Kong and Macao. Later she set up a hardware factory, and prospered.
Along with wealth, she received honours such as Female Production Expert, March 8th Red-flag Bearer, and President of the Women-entrepreneur Association. However, she decided she must do something to help those living the way she once had, and in August 2004, against the opposition of relatives and friends, began to serve on the Beisha Village Committee, at first handling ordinary work such as official seals, household registrations, and so on.
Her sincerity and hard work soon won recognition from the villagers, and after nine months she was elected director of the committee by an overwhelming majority. In May 2007, the position of secretary of the General Party Branch of Beisha Village was added to this.
Helping Make the Villagers Rich
Beisha Village was significant in revolutionary times, but its remote location and backward economy meant that, at the beginning of the new century, many of its residents were still poor. When Shen Xiaoqin took office, the village committee was 20 million yuan in debt, and had other problems besides.
"Only when economic development gives the villagers a good life do they have a basis for solving other problems." Shen Xiaoqin laid out a plan for accelerating the development of Beisha Village by using the land more efficiently and attracting investment.
An area of more than 80 mu under the control of Beisha Village had been left undeveloped for more than four years because the villagers were dissatisfied with the compensation terms. Then, over just three months, Shen Xiaoqin led investigations, consultation, and the creation of a development plan. This made her very popular. Beisha Village at that time had only one old and unsafe market for the over 10,000 residents to buy their produce. Under her guidance, by August 2009, through 3 million yuan of investment, a new market with three floors and nearly 5,000 square meters was built, greatly enhancing the local economy.
The development of the village has made it a bright spot within the township, with its output growing from 850 million yuan to 2.5 billion yuan, or 194%, between 2007 and 2011. Disposable income, the number of village enterprises, and the per-capita dividends increased dramatically as well.
By OUC Voice WeChat Official Account