Xiao made her international debut at the 2011 Junior World Championships in Courmayeur . She won over 1000 m and the bronze medal with the relay, in the all-around competition she finished seventh. A little later, she also had her first successes in the adult sector. At the team world championship in Warsaw she won the silver medal, only just beaten by the South Korean team. At the World Championships in Sheffield , she won the gold medal with the relay. Xiao was only used in the semi-finals.
In October 2011, Xiao debuted in Salt Lake City in the World Cup . She reached the semi-finals over 1500 m, with the relay she immediately won her first World Cup race. In Nagoya , Xiao was third in the 1000 m and also achieved a podium finish in the individual for the first time. In Shanghai she was able to take third place over 1500 m. With the relay, Xiao achieved a total of four podiums in her first season, including three wins. She finished eleventh in the 1500 m World Cup. At the home world championship in Shanghai she again won gold in the relay, but was again only used in the semifinals.
Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Chinese. Xiao is the family name here, Han is the first name.