People's Republic of China

"The Chinese people have stood up!" declared Mao as he announced the creation of a "people's democratic dictatorship." The people were defined as a coalition of ... ThePeople'sRepublicOfChina OnOctober1,1949,thePeople'sRepublicofChinawasformally established,withitsnationalcapitalatBeijing."TheChinese peoplehavestoodup!"declaredMaoasheannouncedthecreation ofa"people'sdemocraticdictatorship."Thepeopleweredefined asacoalitionoffoursocialclasses:theworkers,thepeasants, thepetitebourgeoisie,andthenational-capitalists.Thefour classesweretobeledbytheCCP,asthevanguardoftheworking class.AtthattimetheCCPclaimedamembershipof4.5million, ofwhichmembersofpeasantoriginaccountedfornearly90 percent.ThepartywasunderMao'schairmanship,andthe governmentwasheadedbyZhouEnlai( 1898-1976)aspremierofthe StateAdministrativeCouncil(thepredecessoroftheState Council). TheSovietUnionrecognizedthePeople'sRepubliconOctober2, 1949.Earlierintheyear,Maohadproclaimedhispolicyof "leaningtooneside"asacommitmenttothesocialistbloc.In February1950,aftermonthsofhardbargaining,Chinaandthe SovietUnionsignedtheTreatyofFriendship,Alliance,and MutualAssistance,validuntil1980.Thepactalsowasintended tocounterJapanoranypower'sjoiningJapanforthepurposeof aggression. ForthefirsttimeindecadesaChinesegovernmentwasmetwith peace,insteadofmassivemilitaryopposition,withinits territory.Thenewleadershipwashighlydisciplinedand,having adecadeofwartimeadministrativeexperiencetodrawon,was abletoembarkonaprogramofnationalintegrationandreform. InthefirstyearofCommunistadministration,moderatesocial andeconomicpolicieswereimplementedwithskilland effectiveness.Theleadershiprealizedthattheoverwhelmingand multitudinoustaskofeconomicreconstructionandachievementof politicalandsocialstabilityrequiredthegoodwilland cooperationofallclassesofpeople.Resultswereimpressiveby anystandard,andpopularsupportwaswidespread. By1950internationalrecognitionoftheCommunistgovernment hadincreasedconsiderably,butitwasslowedbyChina's involvementintheKoreanWar.InOctober1950,sensingathreat totheindustrialheartlandinnortheastChinafromtheadvancing UnitedNations(UN)forcesintheDemocraticPeople'sRepublicof Korea(NorthKorea),unitsofthePLA--callingthemselvesthe ChinesePeople'sVolunteers--crossedtheYaluJiang ()Riverinto NorthKoreainresponsetoaNorthKoreanrequestforaid.Almost simultaneouslythePLAforcesalsomarchedintoXizangto reassertChinesesovereigntyoveraregionthathadbeenin effectindependentofChineserulesincethefalloftheQing dynastyin1911.In1951theUNdeclaredChinatobeanaggressor inKoreaandsanctionedaglobalembargoontheshipmentofarms andwarmaterieltoChina.Thisstepforeclosedforthetime beinganypossibilitythatthePeople'sRepublicmightreplace NationalistChina(onTaiwan)asamemberoftheUNandasa veto-holdingmemberoftheUNSecurityCouncil. AfterChinaenteredtheKoreanWar,theinitialmoderationin Chinesedomesticpoliciesgavewaytoamassivecampaignagainst the"enemiesofthestate,"actualandpotential.Theseenemies consistedof"warcriminals,traitors,bureaucraticcapitalists, andcounterrevolutionaries."Thecampaignwascombinedwith party-sponsoredtrialsattendedbyhugenumbersofpeople.The majortargetsinthisdrivewereforeignersandChristian missionarieswhowerebrandedasUnitedStatesagentsatthese masstrials.The1951-52driveagainstpoliticalenemieswas accompaniedbylandreform,whichhadactuallybegununderthe AgrarianReformLawofJune28,1950.Theredistributionofland wasaccelerated,andaclassstruggle landlordsandwealthypeasantswaslaunched.Anideological reformcampaignrequiringself-criticismsandpublicconfessions byuniversityfacultymembers,scientists,andotherprofessional workerswasgivenwidepublicity.Artistsandwritersweresoon theobjectsofsimilartreatmentforfailingtoheedMao'sdictum thatcultureandliteraturemustreflecttheclassinterestof theworkingpeople,ledbytheCCP.Thesecampaignswere accompaniedin1951and1952bythesanfan (or"threeanti")andwu fan(or"fiveanti")movements. Theformerwasdirectedostensibly againsttheevilsof"corruption,waste,andbureaucratism";its realaimwastoeliminateincompetentandpoliticallyunreliable publicofficialsandtobringaboutanefficient,disciplined, andresponsivebureaucraticsystem.Thewufanmovementaimedat eliminatingrecalcitrantandcorruptbusinessmenand industrialists,whowereineffectthetargetsoftheCCP's condemnationof"taxevasion,bribery,cheatingingovernment contracts,theftsofeconomicintelligence,andstealingofstate assets."Inthecourseofthiscampaignthepartyclaimedtohave uncoveredawell-organizedattemptbybusinessmenand industrialiststocorruptpartyandgovernmentofficials.This chargewasenlargedintoanassaultonthebourgeoisieasa whole.Thenumberofpeopleaffectedbythevariouspunitiveor reformcampaignswasestimatedinthemillions. TheTransitiontoSocialism,1953-57 Theperiodofofficiallydesignated"transitiontosocialism" correspondedtoChina'sFirstFive-YearPlan(1953-57).The periodwascharacterizedbyeffortstoachieveindustrialization, collectivizationofagriculture,andpoliticalcentralization. TheFirstFive-YearPlanstressedthedevelopmentofheavy industryontheSovietmodel.Sovieteconomicandtechnical assistancewasexpectedtoplayasignificantpartinthe implementationoftheplan,andtechnicalagreementsweresigned withtheSovietsin1953and1954.Forthepurposeofeconomic planning,thefirstmoderncensuswastakenin1953;the populationofmainlandChinawasshowntobe583million,a figurefargreaterthanhadbeenanticipated. AmongChina'smostpressingneedsintheearly1950swerefood foritsburgeoningpopulation,domesticcapitalforinvestment, andpurchaseofSoviet-suppliedtechnology,capitalequipment, andmilitaryhardware.Tosatisfytheseneeds,thegovernment begantocollectivizeagriculture.Despiteinternaldisagreement astothespeedofcollectivization,whichatleastforthetime beingwasresolvedinMao'sfavor,preliminarycollectivization was90percentcompletedbytheendof1956.Inaddition,the governmentnationalizedbanking,industry,andtrade.Private enterpriseinmainlandChinawasvirtuallyabolished. Majorpoliticaldevelopmentsincludedthecentralizationof partyandgovernmentadministration.Electionswereheldin1953 fordelegatestotheFirstNationalPeople'sCongress,China's nationallegislature,whichmetin1954.Thecongresspromulgated thestateconstitutionof1954andformallyelectedMaochairman (orpresident)ofthePeople'sRepublic;itelectedLiuShaoqi (1898-1969)chairmanof theStandingCommitteeoftheNational People'sCongress;andnamedZhouEnlaipremierofthenewState Council. Inthemidstofthesemajorgovernmentalchanges,andhelpingto precipitatethem,wasapowerstrugglewithintheCCPleadingto the1954purgeofPoliticalBureaumemberGaoGang () andPartyOrganizationDepartmentheadRaoShushi (),whowereaccusedof illicitlytryingtoseizecontroloftheparty. Theprocessofnationalintegrationalsowascharacterizedby improvementsinpartyorganizationundertheadministrative directionofthesecretarygeneralofthepartyDengXiaoping ( whoservedconcurrentlyasvicepremieroftheStateCouncil). Therewasamarkedemphasisonrecruitingintellectuals,whoby 1956constitutednearly12percentoftheparty's10.8million members.Peasantmembershiphaddecreasedto69percent,while therewasanincreasingnumberof"experts",who wereneededforthepartyandgovernmentalinfrastructures,in thepartyranks. Aspartoftheefforttoencouragetheparticipationof intellectualsinthenewregime,inmid-1956therebeganan officialefforttoliberalizethepoliticalclimate. Culturalandintellectualfigures wereencouragedtospeaktheirmindsonthestateofCCPruleand programs.Maopersonallytooktheleadinthemovement,whichwas launchedundertheclassicalslogan"Letahundredflowersbloom, letthehundredschoolsofthoughtcontend" ().Atfirsttheparty's repeatedinvitationtoairconstructiveviewsfreelyandopenly wasmetwithcaution.Bymid-1957,however,themovement unexpectedlymounted,bringingdenunciationandcriticismagainst thepartyingeneralandtheexcessesofitscadresin particular.Startledandembarrassed,leadersturnedonthe criticsas"bourgeoisrightists"() andlaunchedtheAnti-Rightist Campaign.TheHundredFlowersCampaign,sometimes calledtheDoubleHundredCampaign (),apparentlyhadasobering effectontheCCPleadership. [TableofContents| Timeline| MapofChina| RepublicanChina:III| PRC:II]