CHINA / Face to Face
Xie Qihua: Made of Steel
(Beijing Review)
Updated: 2006-01-07 09:56
Xie Qihua, holding the reins to China's biggest steel manufacturer, is
optimistic about the metal's future.
Xie Qihua has one strict rule: No interviews about her personal life.
Apart from this she is happy to answer any questions about Baosteel Group
and the steel industry as a whole.
The woman who manages the world's No.6 steel group with a 20-million-ton
yearly output has a gentle simplicity about her. But don't let external
appearances fool you; she's not known as the "iron lady" for nothing.
Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. under Baosteel Group is a listed company
credited as being a stabilizing factor in the Chinese capital market,
something which is widely seen as being due to Xie's no nonsense attitude
and inspirational influence.
Apart from Board Chairwoman of Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation, Xie
boasts a string of other titles that include Alternate Member of the 16th
Central Committee of Communist Party of China, President of China Iron
and Steel Association, "Top 100 Powerful Women in the World" and "Most
Powerful Business Leader of China." It's clear that this dynamic woman's
efforts in the business world are not going unnoticed.
On October 31, Forbes magazine published the list of "Top 50
Businesswomen in the World 2005." Xie Qihua and Ma Xuezheng, Chief
Financial Officer of Lenovo Group Limited, broke into the top 10
rankings. As if to confirm her power status, Xie was simultaneously
listed by the Wall Street Journal in their "Top 50 Businesswomen to
Watch" rankings, an honor of significant prestige.
Heavy Metal Woman
Xie Qihua hails from Shanghai where she was born in 1943. After
graduation from Tsinghua University in 1968, she went to work as a
technician at the Shaanxi Steel Plant.
In October 1978, Xie joined Baosteel when it was still under
construction, heading up the technical division, rising through the ranks
to become company president in 1994 and part-time board chairperson of
Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. in 2000. Since February 2003, this role
model to many women has taken on the awesome responsibility of board
chairwoman and general manager of Baosteel Group and board chairwoman of
Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. Today she still holds the twin positions
of board chairwoman for Baosteel Group and Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd.
Since 1978, Xie has projected most of her energy towards the development
of the Baosteel Group. She formed Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation,
the largest iron and steel united corporation in China, after receiving
authorization from the State Council to amalgamate Shanghai Iron and
Steel Plant and Meishan Iron and Steel Company with her Baosteel Group.
In April 2001, after working hard to improve the industrial concentration
of Baosteel, Xie turned her attention to the strategic alliance between
Baosteel Group and Capital Iron and Steel Company and Wuhan Iron and
Steel Company, in the process propelling Baosteel Group into the world's
top 12 steel corporations with over 10-million-ton yearly output.
New Targets
In January 2004, the Baosteel Group signed a cooperation framework
agreement with France's Arcelor, an international steel maker, and
Brazil's Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD), to jointly build a steel
plant in Brazil. This was regarded as China's largest direct investment
in projects overseas at the time and became the entry point of Baosteel
into the foreign market.
On July 12, 2004, Fortune formally published the ranking of the top 500
companies in the world for 2003. Baosteel Group ranked No.372 with a
120.4 billion yuan ($14.548 billion) income in 2003, being the first
Chinese manufacturer to enter the ranking of the world's top 500
companies. This year, Baosteel's ranking leapt to 309, advancing 63
places.
"Xie led the Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation in setting record
earnings and revenue and successfully pioneered a path in the trades
traditionally dominated by men," said Fortune.
Xie has big plans for Baosteel during the "11th Five-Year Plan" period.
"We will form the framework of our comprehensive operation system by the
end of 2005 and realize our integrated operation by 2010, entering the
ranks of the world's three strongest steel corporations," she said.
Page: 1 2
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
Today's Top News
� Three Gorges Dam takes the first strain
� Internet bar fire injured 27, all youths
� 'China should expand military spending'
� Hu urges scientists to help innovation
� China cracks down on exam cheats
Top China News
� Report: Japan to unfreeze loans to China
� China solves insecurity in drinking water
� NPC delegate urges halt of new bank fee
� Japan to end freeze on China aid loan
� China leads world in rainmaking
Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.
Learn Chinese, Chinese Online Class
No comments:
Post a Comment