The Common Program of the People's Republic of China 1949-1954


Part 5: 2nd plenum of the 7th CC CCP

From March 5 till March 13, 1949, the Central Committee (CC) of the CCP holds its second Plenum. 34 full members and 19 alternate members attend the meeting. This plenum is held in Xibaipo in the west of Hebei Province. Here the CCP established its base between 1947-1948.
Xibaipo

The main agenda of the meeting is the transition from a rural revolution to an urban revolution. The development of the economy and a stable regime change are also topics during the assembly. In this part, the focus lies on formalizing a consultative conference. In his opening speech, Mao Zedong stresses that the time is right to convene a political consultative conference: "We must regard the majority of non-Party democrats as we do our own cadres, consult with them sincerely and frankly to solve those problems that call for consultation and solution, give them work, entrust them with the responsibility and authority that should go with their posts and help them do their work well."
But he also warns: "Proceeding from the desire to unite with them, we should carry out serious and appropriate criticism or struggle against their errors and shortcomings in order to attain the objective of unity. It would be wrong to adopt an accommodating attitude towards their errors or shortcomings. It would also be wrong to adopt a dosed-door or perfunctory attitude towards them. In each big or medium city, each strategic Region and each province, we should develop a group of non-Party democrats who have prestige and can co-operate with us."
7th National Congress of The Communist Party of China 1945

The CC approves the plans to hold a political consultative conference and decides to take the slow path to a socialist economy. “For the benefit of the entire national economy and the present and future interests of the proletariat and the working people, however, it is essential that private capital should not be restricted too much and must be permitted to exist and develop along the track of the economic policies…”
This decision on the transition period can be considered as the foundation of the Common Program. The way this transition period will be implemented is described in a document issued on April 25, 1949.

2nd Plenum of the 7th CC

The Seventh Central Committee had 44 full members and 33 alternates. The Seventh CC’s plenums were held in Yan’an (June 19, 1945), Xibaipo (March 5‐13, 1949), and Beijing (June 6‐9, 1950; February 6‐10, 1954; April 4, 1955; October 4‐11, 1955; August 22‐September 8, 1956).
The election of the Seventh Central Committee was a major personal success for Mao. The new Party Constitution (1945) incorporated “Thought of Mao Zedong,” unifying the Party under Mao’s emerging personality cult. Sibayan (2013). Page 69 [↩] [Cite]


12-03-1949 Liu Shaoqi Some questions concerning urban work
13-03-1949 Mao Zedong Methods of work of party committees


5-3-1949 - 13-3-1949 2nd plenum 7th CC

Road to Common Program