The Political Consultative Conference

From January 10 to 31, 1946, the KMT, the CPC and various democratic parties (China Democratic League, Chinese Youth Party, etc.) held a meeting in Chongqing for the great cause of peaceful nation-building after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, also known as the "antecedent of the CPPCC" (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference).

After the announcement of the "Double Ten Agreement" in 1945, the KMT authorities continued to launch attacks targeting the Liberated Areas, but due to the counterattacks of the militia and civilians in the Liberated Areas and the opposition of the people in the KMT-ruled areas, as well as U.S. President Harry S. Truman's declaration on China and his special envoy Marshall's visit to China to mediate the disputes between the KMT and the CPC, the KMT was at a political disadvantage and was forced to convene the Political Consultative Conference by the provisions of the "Double Ten Agreement". There were 38 delegates attending the conference, including 8 delegates from the KMT, 7 delegates from the CPC, 9 delegates from the Chinese Democratic League, 5 delegates from the Chinese Youth Party, and 9 non-partisan people, which actually represented the three political forces of the left, the center, and the right in Chinese society.

At the conference, Chiang Kai-shek delivered an opening speech on behalf of the National Government and announced the matters that the government had decided to implement: to give the people freedom of speech, publication, assembly, association and organizing, and to recognize that all political parties were equal before the law and could operate openly within the limits of the law, to implement universal suffrage from the bottom up, and to release political prisoners. The conference had 10 general sessions and also many subgroup sessions. The meeting engaged in heated debates on five issues, including the government organization, military issues, the formulation of policy agenda, the convening of the National Assembly, and the revision of the draft constitution.

The Communist Party representatives firmly advocated the abolition of the one-party dictatorship of the KMT, the rejection of dictatorial rule and the rejection of civil war, dictatorial and traitorous policies, and the establishment of a new democratic state. The KMT representatives insisted on the policies and positions of civil war, dictatorship, and treason, and adhered on one-party dictatorship. Representing the interests and demands of the national bourgeoisie, the Chinese Democratic League and the non-partisans, while opposing the one-party dictatorship of the KMT, did not dare to wage a resolute struggle, but advocated the establishment of a bourgeois democratic republic.

The focus of the struggle at the conference was on the issues of military and political power. The KMT representatives proposed the "nationalization of the army" before the "democratization of politics"; however, the CPC representatives advocated the "democratization of politics" before the "nationalization of the army"; the center parties argued that both the KMT and the CPC should hand over their armies and that they should take over the armies on behalf of the state. Thanks to the efforts of the CPC and other progressive elements, the conference negotiated and adopted five agreements, including the peaceful nation-building program, the National Assembly issue, the draft constitution issue, the government organization issue, and the military issue. To varying degrees, these agreements negated the KMT’s one-party dictatorship, dictatorial system, and civil war policies, and basically benefited the people to the detriment of the KMT reactionaries.

The adoption of these agreements in the Political Consultative Conference, reflected the Chinese people's ardent desire to achieve peace, democracy, unity, and reunification. When the ruling clique of the KMT eventually tore up these agreements, it deviated from the fundamental interests of the people and put itself on the opposite side of the people.