The First Plenary Session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

It was held in Beijing from September 21 to September 30, 1949. A total of 662 delegates (including alternate delegates) from the CPC and all democratic parties, people's organizations and democratic figures without party affiliation attended the Plenum.

Mao Zedong, the Director of the Preparatory Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Head of the Central Committee of the CPC, delivered an opening speech to the Plenum. 12 people delivered speeches, including Liu Shaoqi, a delegate of the CPC, Soong Ching Ling, an invited delegate, He Xiangning, a delegate of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese KMT, Zhang Lan, a delegate of the Chinese Democratic League, Gao Gang, a delegate of the Chinese People's Liberation Area, Chen Yi, a delegate of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Huang Yanpei, a delegate of the National Democratic Construction Association, Li Lisan, a delegate of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Sai Fuding, a delegate representing Xinjiang, specially invited delegates Zhang Zhizhong and Cheng Qian, and Situ Meitang, a delegate from overseas Chinese community.

The Plenum listened to the report on the preparatory work of the CPPCC made by Lin Boqu on behalf of the Preparatory Committee, the report on the drafting of the "Draft Organic Law of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" and the features of the draft made by Tan Pingshan, the report on the drafting of the "Organic Law of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China" and the draft made by Dong Biwu, and the report on the drafting of the "Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" and the features of the draft made by Zhou Enlai. Then Vice Chairman Zhu De delivered the closing speech.

The Plenum formulated and adopted the “Organic Law of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference”, making the Chinese People's Democratic United Front complete and fixed organizationally.

The Plenum also elected Mao Zedong as Chairman of the Central People's Government, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Soong Ching Ling, Li Jishen, Zhang Lan and Gao Gang as Vice Chairmen, and also elected 56 members of the Central People's Government. It also elected the 180-member First National Committee of the CPPCC.

This Plenum acted as the legislative body of China, the National People's Congress. It adopted the "Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference", which had the character of a provisional constitution; formulated the "Organic Law of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" and the "Organic Law of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China"; decided that the name of New China would be the People's Republic of China, the capital would be set in Beiping, and Beiping would be changed to Beijing; adopted the A.D. calendar; adopted the March of the Volunteer Army as the substitute national anthem; and the five-star red flag as the national flag. Therefore, the Plenum played an important historical role in the establishment of the People's Republic of China.