The Chinese People Have Stood Up

Mao Zedong's Opening Speech at the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (also known as the "New Deal Association Meeting") on September 21, 1949.

The next day, it was published in People's Daily under the title of "Chairman Mao's Opening Speech at the First Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference". It was included in the Collected Works of Mao Zedong, Volume 5.

In his opening speech, Mao Zedong analyzed the domestic situation faced by China, pointed out the road that New China should take, put forward the powers and responsibilities of the new Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, pointed out the great significance of the founding of New China, and put forward the basic tasks of the new political power and the people of the whole country.

(1) This paper summarizes the current situation and trend of Chinese revolution and points out the road of Chinese social development. Mao Zedong pointed out that the new CPPCC meeting is "a meeting of great unity of the people of the whole country"; and "our meeting is called the New Political Consultative Conference because we held a political consultative conference with Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT three years ago.

“The results of that conference were sabotaged by Chiang Kai-shek's KMT and its accomplices; nevertheless the conference left an indelible impression on the people.”

“The only gain from that conference was the profound lesson it taught the people that there is absolutely no room for compromise with Chiang Kai-shek's KMT, the running dog of imperialism, and its accomplices—overthrow these enemies or be oppressed and slaughtered by them, either one or the other, there is no other choice.”

(2) Clarify the nature, powers and responsibilities of the new CPPCC. Mao Zedong said that the meeting of the New Deal Association "has the nature of representing the people of the whole country", and therefore "declares itself to carry out the functions and powers of the National People's Congress".

In accordance with its agenda, the conference will enact the Organic Law of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Organic Law of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China and the Common Programme of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; it will elect the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Central People's Government Council of the People's Republic of China; it will adopt the national flag and national emblem of the People's Republic of China; and it will decide on the seat of the capital of the People's Republic of China and adopt the chronological system in use in most countries of the world.

(3) This paper discusses the great historical significance of the founding of New China. Mao Zedong said that our work will be written in the history of mankind, which will show that " Chinese people, comprising one quarter of humanity, have now stood up."

"We have closed our ranks and defeated both domestic and foreign oppressors through the People's War of Liberation and the great people's revolution, and now we are proclaiming the founding of the People's Republic of China. From now on our nation will belong to the community of the peace-loving and freedom-loving nations of the world and work courageously and industriously to foster its own civilization and well-being and at the same time to promote world peace and freedom. Ours will no longer be a nation subject to insult and humiliation. We have stood up.”

(4) Putting forward the basic tasks of the people's democratic political power and the people of the whole country.

Mao Zedong pointed out: "Our state system, the people's democratic dictatorship, is a powerful weapon for safeguarding the fruits of victory of the people's revolution and for thwarting the plots of domestic and foreign enemies for restoration, and this weapon we must firmly grasp. Internationally, we must unite with all peace-loving and freedom-loving countries and peoples, and first of all with the Soviet Union and the New Democracies, so that we shall not stand alone in our struggle to safeguard these fruits of victory and to thwart the plots of domestic and foreign enemies for restoration.”

Mao Zedong also put forward the task of economic and cultural construction, pointing out: “An upsurge in economic construction is bound to be followed by an upsurge of construction in the cultural sphere. The era in which the Chinese people were regarded as uncivilized is now ended. We shall emerge in the world as a nation with an advanced culture.”

This opening speech sets the tone for the convening of the new Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, makes a principled plan for what kind of new China to create, and draws a basic blueprint for China's economic and social development and its position among the world's nations. It is an important document marking the turning point of the fate of the old and new China.