Chinas

Reconstruction
Period
1949-1953

Conditions Affecting the Formulation of Policies

1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

6.

The sudden victory of Communist forces

The Korean War, and Chinas subsequent inability to
secure economic and military aid and advise from
anyone but the Soviets
The rural nature of the Communist movement
A united political leadership
The need to rebuild and unify China, which is required
control
The need for the Communists to repay peasants for their
support

On the Peoples Democratic Dictatorship

An essay by Mao Zedong in mid-1949

Mao directly and briefly discussed the ideas that would guide the
governmental policies of the new Chinese state:
First, arousing of the nations masses to build a domestic united front
under the leadership of the working class peasantry, the urban,
petty, and national bourgeoisie, basis of a peoples democratic
dictatorship
Second, embraced the international aspects of the revolution
The new government would establish relations with any country
willing to respect Chinas international equality and territorial integrity
Deprive the reactionaries of the right to speak and let the people
alone have the right.
Develop Chinas potential through socialization, agriculture and a
powerful industry supported by the state enterprise

Peoples Political Consultative Conference

Summoned by Mao Zedong on Sept. 12, 1949

Preparation for the formation of a new government
Meeting for 12 days
Adopted the Organic Law of the Central Peoples Government

Organic Law of the Central Peoples Government

Common Program for China

Statement on national purposes
National flag
Four-class coalition
1 .workers
2. peasants
3. petty bourgeois
4. national bourgeois

Common Program of China

Rights of freedom
thought, speech, publication, assembly, association, correspondence,
person, domicile, moving from one place to another, religious belief,
and the freedom to hole processions and demonstrations

Womens rights
and the end of their lives in bondage

Rural reform
Development of heavy industry
Universal education
- to meet the goals

Birth of the Peoples Republic

Established on October 1, 1949

Capital in Beijing
Recognized by the Soviet Union a day later and by other Communist
states
- India, Burma, Pakistan, Ceylon, Britain, and France
- The United States did not recognize the government until January 1,
1979
Anti-imperialism
In the first months of the PRC, the main focus had to be on the practical
tasks of restraining inflation, building up agricultural production,
restoring the dismantled heavy industries, and maintaining law and order.
The initial priority was to persuade the educated technical and
managerial elites to serve the new state.
Foreign technical personnel and large foreign businesses were
encouraged to stay and work for the new society

Mao Zedongs Theories

1. New Democracy
Creative adaptation of Marxism-Leninism to the Chinese situation
Economic structure
Political structure
Cultural structure
Development of a scientific, anti-feudal, mass culture
Culture of the New Democracy should be national and anti-imperialistic and
able to advocate the dignity and independence of the Chinese nation
2. Rectification Movement
Combat: (a) subjectivism and unorthodox tendencies, (b) sectarianism
within the party ranks, and (c) formalism in literature
Aimed at inculcating in the party members a correct understanding of
Marxism-Leninism

Government Structure

CENTRAL PEOPLES GOVERNMENT

COUNCIL
Supreme Organ of the State
Executive, Legislative and Judicial Power
Met 2 times a month
Members:
Chairman (Mao Zedong)
6 Vice-Chairman
56 others elected by PPC
Council

Political Parties

CCP
Membership (4-5 M in 1949)
4 Channels:
Representative (National Party Congress)
Executive (Central Committee)
Administrative (Central Secretariat)
Control (Central Control Commission)

The Party and government is

closely connected.
Non-communist parties exist

National Party Congress

Politburo

Politburo
standing committee

Central committee

Various departments

Six regional bureaus

Central secretariat

Central Control
Mission

Experience of the Revolution

2 Basic Categories
1.

Domestic United Front

peasantry
urban petty bourgeoisie
national bourgeoisie
working class

2.

International aspects of revolution

Chinas alliance with the Soviet Union
Soviet Bloc
World proletariat

New government would establish

Relations with any country willing to respect

Chinas international equality and territorial
integrity
Deprive the reactionaries of the right to speak
and let the people alone have the right
Develop its potential through twin policies of
socialization of agriculture
Powerful industry having state enterprise as its
backbone

Peoples Political Consultative

Conference- Mao Zedong

September 1949
Article 5 of Common Program
1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

Equal rights to women and end of their lives of

bondage
Rights of freedom of speech, publication, assembly
etc.
Moving from one place to another
Religious belief, freedom to hold processions and
demonstrations
Universal education

Rural Reform

Rent reduction
Land redistribution
Development of heavy industry

*Work be centered on the planned, systematic

rehabilitation and development of heavy
industry.

PRCs Main Focus

Restraining inflation
Agricultural production
Dismantled heavy industries
Law and order
1950
Women unmarried, divorced and widowed
have right to hold land in their own names

Urban Reform

Prevent violent social confrontations

Encourage industries to reopen, workers to
stay at their jobs
Promoted the formation of labor unions
-with intense vigilance

CCPs Main Focus

Base for mass urban support by means of

propaganda
Newspapers, theater, cinema, radio and group , meetings

Webs of committees in large towns

Politics, military problems, arts and education

Small study groups to learn new political

vocabulary of communism and its
significance (Rectification Campaign of
1942)

Street Committee Branches

1.
2.
3.
4.

Street cleaning, water supply, health and

vaccinations programs
Running childrens bookstores, establishing night
schools
Responsibilities:
Public security
Track criminals
Enforce curfews
Mount local patrols

Advantages of street branches

Prostitution
Opium addiction
Provocative hairstyles and make-ups

Economic Development
Badly disrupted economy

1.
2.
3.

Inflation
floods
industrial and food output

Priorities

1.
2.
3.

Rehabilitate economic life of the nation

Restore industrial and agricultural production
Promote financial stability

Peoples Currency-Jen-min Piao (May 1949)

Banned the circulation of foreign currencies
Wage-point system

Based on prices of 5 basic items: rice, oil, coal, flour,

cotton and clothes
Safeguard savings and bank deposits

Liberation Army (communication lines)

New Taxation system
in agricultural, industrial, commercial, sales and income
taxes

*1950 inflation controlled

Land Revolution

Vigorous agrarian revolution

To cure the age-old problem of landlordism

June, 1950- Agrarian Reform Law

1st phase
abolition of land ownership system of feudal
exploitation
Confiscation of landowners holdings

5 categories of agrarian population

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Landlords
Rich peasants
Middle peasants
Poor peasants
Hired hands

Injustice and violence to landowners

Dominant elite destroyed

December, 1952- Agrarian Revolution Completed

700 million mou (1/6 acre) of land redistributed to 300
million peasants

2nd phase collectivization in 1953

1.
2.
3.
4.

Raise production
prevent re-emergence of rich peasants
greater agricultural specialization
socialist transformation

3 stages of collectivization
1.
2.
3.

mutual aid
Semi-socialist agricultural producers cooperation
Fully socialize cooperative

Industrial Expansion

Heavy industry is defined as mining and the

production of steel, iron, electrical power, machinery,
and chemicals
The plans recognized the critical role of
industrialization in building a socialist state
Centered on the planned, systematic rehabilitation
and development of heavy industry. Common
Program for China
1952, pre-war industrial and agricultural peaks have
been achieved