First Plenary Session of the CPPCC (1949)
중국인민정치협상회의 제1차 전체회의 (1949)
The conference held in Huairen Hall, Zhongnanhai, Beiping, on 21–30 September 1949 that prepared the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Exercising the functions of a National People’s Congress, its 662 delegates from the Communist Party, democratic parties, people’s organisations, regions, the PLA, minority nationalities and the overseas Chinese adopted the Organic Law of the CPPCC, the Organic Law of the Central People’s Government and the Common Program, which served as a provisional constitution; fixed the capital, flag, anthem and calendar era; and elected the Central People’s Government Council with Mao Zedong as chairman.
In depth
The “new Political Consultative Conference” proposed by the Communist Party on 1 May 1948 was so called to distinguish it from the conference that met at Chongqing in January 1946, and its Preparatory Meeting opened in Beiping on 15 June 1949. At the preparatory meeting Zhang Xiruo proposed the name “People’s Republic of China”, and at the first plenary session on 21 September the body was renamed the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Its delegates comprised 165 from parties, 116 from regions, 71 from the PLA, 235 from organisations and 75 specially invited.
In his opening address on 21 September Mao said the Chinese people, one quarter of humanity, “have now stood up”. On the 27th the session passed the two organic laws and resolved to make Beiping the capital under the name Beijing, to use the Gregorian calendar era, and to adopt the “March of the Volunteers” as the provisional anthem and the Five-star Red Flag as the national flag. On the 29th it adopted the Common Program, and on the 30th it elected the Central People’s Government Council, with Mao as chairman and Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Soong Ching-ling, Li Jishen, Zhang Lan and Gao Gang as vice-chairmen, and laid the foundation stone of the Monument to the People’s Heroes.
When a National People’s Congress elected by universal suffrage met in September 1954, the CPPCC handed over its legislative functions and became a consultative body of the united front.