Born in Qingdao, Shandong province, Wang Xiuting rose to prominence with a victory in the 10,000 metres at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. She represented China in the long race at the 1987 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and came in 28th place. Wang made her track debut at the global level later that year at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics – she came seventh in the 10,000 m but didn't get past the heats of the 3000 metres. She took both the 5000 metres and 10,000 m crowns at the VI Chinese National Games at the end of the year. At the 1988 IAAF World Cross Country Championships she came fourteenth in the long race.