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.