CPPCC First Plenary Session
The First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference convened in Beijing from 21–30 September 1949, adopting the Common Program and the Organic Law of the Central People's Government, and electing Mao Zedong as Chairman — the final political act before the formal proclamation of the PRC.
Composition and Purpose
The CPPCC brought together 662 representatives from 45 units, including the Communist Party, eight minor democratic parties, the People's Liberation Army, mass organisations, and regional and ethnic minority representatives. It functioned as a surrogate national legislature before a formal constitution and elected government could be established.
The conference was deliberately designed to project an image of broad coalition rather than single-party rule — though in practice the CPC's leading role was never in doubt.
Key Decisions
Over ten days, the CPPCC adopted the Common Program (serving as a provisional constitution), the Organic Law of the CPPCC, and the Organic Law of the Central People's Government. It chose Beijing as the national capital, the Five-Star Red Flag as the national flag, "March of the Volunteers" as the national anthem, and the Common Era calendar alongside the traditional Chinese calendar.
Mao Zedong was elected Chairman of the Central People's Government, with six Vice-Chairmen including Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, and non-Communist figures such as Song Qingling and Li Jishen — reflecting the coalition character of the new government.
Historical Legacy
The CPPCC survives today as an advisory body alongside the National People's Congress, though its political significance has diminished considerably since the 1950s. The 1949 session remains symbolically important as the founding act of the PRC's political order.
Narrative Comparison
| Source | Narrative |
|---|---|
| PRC Official Narrative | The CPPCC First Plenary Session was the fullest expression of the broadest patriotic united front in Chinese history. Representatives from all parties, social strata, ethnic groups, and regions jointly deliberated on the founding of the new state, giving concrete form to the spirit of people's democracy. The Common Program embodied the collective will of the entire Chinese people and laid a solid political and legal foundation for the construction of New China. This conference marked the moment when the Chinese people truly took their destiny into their own hands, opening a new chapter in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. |
| Republic of China / Taiwan Historical Assessment | The so-called Political Consultative Conference was a carefully staged performance orchestrated by the Communist Party. Representatives of the so-called 'democratic parties' attended only with CPC approval, serving solely to provide a veneer of coalition government over what was in reality single-party rule from the outset. The 'people's democratic dictatorship' established by the Common Program excluded genuine political competition by design and provided the institutional justification for subsequent waves of political persecution. The Republic of China has never recognised this conference as possessing any legitimate authority to speak for all the Chinese people. |
| Western Academic Assessment | Western scholars broadly agree that the CPPCC First Plenary Session projected the outward appearance of coalition government while real power remained firmly with the Communist Party throughout. Fairbank (China: Tradition and Transformation, 1978) and other scholars note that the credentials of democratic party delegates were subject to CPC vetting and that the agenda was CPC-controlled, rendering the 'consultative' character of the conference largely nominal. The framework of 'people's democratic dictatorship' enshrined in the Common Program subsequently served as the institutional basis for suppressing political pluralism — invoked repeatedly from the Anti-Rightist Campaign through the Cultural Revolution. |
Key Milestones
- Conference Opens
The CPPCC First Plenary Session opened in the Huairen Hall of Zhongnanhai, Beijing. Mao Zedong delivered the opening address, declaring that the Chinese people had "stood up" — a phrase that became one of the most quoted in the history of the People's Republic.
- National Symbols Adopted
The CPPCC resolved on the four national symbols of the new state: the Five-Star Red Flag as the national flag, "March of the Volunteers" as the national anthem, Beijing (formerly Beiping) as the national capital, and the Common Era calendar as the official dating system alongside the traditional Chinese calendar.
- Common Program and Organic Laws Adopted
The conference adopted three foundational documents: the Common Program of the CPPCC (serving as a provisional constitution), the Organic Law of the CPPCC, and the Organic Law of the Central People's Government. The Common Program defined the PRC as a "people's democratic dictatorship" led by the working class and based on the worker-peasant alliance.
- Leadership Elected, Conference Closes
The CPPCC elected Mao Zedong as Chairman of the Central People's Government, with six Vice-Chairmen including Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Song Qingling, Li Jishen, Zhang Lan, and Gao Gang. Zhou Enlai was appointed Premier of the Government Administration Council. The conference then adjourned, with the formal founding ceremony scheduled for the following morning.
Sub-Events
Five-Star Red Flag Adopted as National Flag
On 27 September 1949, the CPPCC adopted the Five-Star Red Flag as the national flag of the People's Republic of China. Designed by economist Zeng Liansong, the flag's large star represents the Communist Party and the four smaller stars represent the four social classes united under its leadership.
March of the Volunteers Adopted as National Anthem
On 27 September 1949, the CPPCC adopted "March of the Volunteers" — composed by Nie Er with lyrics by Tian Han — as the provisional national anthem of the PRC. Originally written for a 1935 anti-Japanese resistance film, the anthem became a symbol of national sacrifice and struggle.
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