Common Program: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Provisional constitution of the People's Republic of China}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox constitution|document_name=Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|jurisdiction={{PRC}}|date_repealed=Never formally repealed; superseded by the [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China]]|head_of_state=Chairman of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China|date_effective=29 September 1949|Image=Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference logo.svg|caption=Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference logo|Image size=128px}}

[[File:通过共同纲领.jpg|thumb|Picture of CPPCC members when the Common Program was discussed and passed at the conference in 1949. ]]

The '''The Common Program''' (fullwas titlethe inprimary English:general thepolicy Newdocument Democraticpassed Outline ofby the Common[[First Programplenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference)<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Zheng |first=Qian |title=Anplenary Ideological Historysession]] of the Communist Party of China |date=2020 |publisher=Royal Collins Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-4878-0391-9 |editor-last=Zheng |editor-first=Qian |volume=2 |___location=Montreal, Quebec |translator-last=Sun |translator-first=Li |translator-last2=Bryant |translator-first2=Shelly}}</ref>{{Rp|page=4}} was the primary general policy document issued by the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]] in September 1949. The program''Common Program'' served in effect as athe [[provisional constitution]]<ref>{{Cite webof |title=Athe BriefPeople's HistoryRepublic of theChina CPPCCfrom |url=http://www.cppcc.gov.cn/zxww/2012/07/03/ARTI1341301498359101.shtml1949 |access-date=2023-08-20until |website=www.cppcc.gov.cn}}</ref> untilSeptember 1954, when a newlythe writtenformal [[1954 Constitution of the People's Republic of China|constitution]] was passed and ratified by the [[1st National People's Congress]].

== Background ==

On September 29, 1949, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference unanimously adopted the Common Program as the basic political program for the country following the success of the [[Chinese CivilCommunist War|Chinese revolutionRevolution]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Zheng |first=Qian |title=An Ideological History of the Communist Party of China |date=2020 |publisher=Royal Collins Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-4878-0391-9 |editor-last=Zheng |editor-first=Qian |volume=2 |___location=Montreal, Quebec |translator-last=Sun |translator-first=Li |translator-last2=Bryant |translator-first2=Shelly}}</ref>{{Rp|page=25}}

The Common Program functioned as China's provisional constitution until 1954.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Li |first=Xiaobing |title=The Cold War in East Asia |date=2018 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-138-65179-1 |___location=Abingdon, Oxon}}</ref>{{Rp|page=67}}

== Key provisions ==

The Common Program defined China as a [[New Democracy|new democratic]] country which would practice a [[people's democratic dictatorship]] led by the [[proletariat]] and based on an alliance of workers and peasants which would unite all of China's democratic classes (defined as those opposing imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism and favoring an independent China).<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=25}}

== Provisions ==

The Common Program defined [[China]] as a "[[New Democracy|new democraticdemocracy]] country" which would practice a [[people's democratic dictatorship]] led by the [[proletariat]] and based on an alliance of workers and peasants which would unite all of China's "democratic classes" (defined as those opposing imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism and favoring an independent China).<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=25}}

The Common Program described [[System of people's congress|people's congresses]] as the primary organs through which the people would exercise state power.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=26}} It stated that the [[National People's Congress]] was the highest body of state power.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=26}} According to the Common Program, all state organs should practice [[democratic centralism]].<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=26}}

The Common Program described the primary task of the new government as eliminating feudal, [[Comprador|compradorial]], and [[Fascism|fascist]] ideologies.<ref name=":Li">{{Cite book |last=Li |first=Hongshan |title=Fighting on the Cultural Front: U.S.-China Relations in the Cold War |date=2024 |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]] |isbn=9780231207058 |___location=New York, NY |jstor=10.7312/li--20704}}</ref>{{Rp|page=27}}

Generally, the Common Program prioritized ownership of the state-owned economy, although it also gave consideration to some private interests.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=4}} It did not seek to eliminate capitalism as a whole, instead encouraging private enterprises viewed as beneficial to the national economy and sought to implement a mixed economy.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|pages=4-5}}

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In Article 26, the Common Program defines "development of production" as the primary goal intended to be achieved through the establishment of socialist [[relations of production]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Harrell |first=Stevan |title=An Ecological History of Modern China |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |year=2023 |isbn=9780295751719 |___location=Seattle}}</ref>{{Rp|page=63}} It states, "The basic principle for the economic construction of the People's Republic of China is ... to achieve the goal of developing production and a flourishing economy ... to promote the development of the entire society and economy."<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=63}}

The Common Program addresses [[Agriculture in China|agriculture]] in Article 34, stating that "the People's Government should organize peasants and all labor power that can carry out agricultural work to ... [develop] agricultural production ... Every step of [[Land Reform Movement (China)|land reform]] should be integrated with the revival and development of agricultural production."<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=80}}

Article 35 emphasized the development of heavy [[Technological and industrial history of China|industry]], such as mining, iron and steel, power, machinery, electrical industry, and the chemical industry "in order to build a foundation for the industrialization of the nation."<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=81}}

Regarding [[Foreign policy of China|China's foreign policy]], Articles 54 and 56 state that [[Foreign relations of China|China's foreign relations]] would be based on respect for mutual sovereignty.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Leung |first=Beatrice |last2=Wang |first2=Marcus J. J. |date=2016-05-03 |title=Sino–Vatican Negotiations: problems in sovereign right and national security |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10670564.2015.1104921 |journal=Journal of Contemporary China |language=en |volume=25 |issue=99 |pages=467–482 |doi=10.1080/10670564.2015.1104921 |issn=1067-0564|url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{Rp|page=469}}

== Academic analysis ==

Researcher Zheng Qian compares the Common Program's support for an economy with mixed forms of ownership to [[Vladimir Lenin]]'s [[New Economic Policy]] during the post-1921 transitional period in the Soviet Union.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=5}}

== See also ==

* [[Constitutional history of the People's Republic of China]]

* [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China]]

== Further reading ==

* [https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1949-ccp-program.asp Text in English]

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==

* [https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1949-ccp-program.asp Text in English]

{{Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference}}

[[Category:Economic history of China]]

[[Category:Legal history of China]]

[[Category:1949 establishments in China]]

[[Category:Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]]