The Political System 1949-1954

In the political centre, new institutions were created, while at the local level, the existing ones were adapted. The Party convoked in September 1949 a People's Political Consultative Conference (Zhongguo renmin zhengzhi xueshang huiyi 中国人民政治协商会议, short Zhengxie 政协, CPPCC) which drafted the constitution and the new political system, but remains a political organ until today. The Conference included members of the political parties, regional representatives, such of the army and various professions, as well as a number of guests, with a total number of 585 (and 77 alternative members, Guillermaz 1976: 14). It promulgated two organic laws, one concerning the CPPCC itself, and the second concerning the Central People's Government (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu 中央人民政府). Until 1954, when the first constitution came into force, the CPPCC also served as a kind of national assembly or parliament. In fact, this institution was not quite new, but had precursors in the years directly after the Anti-Japanese War, when the Kuomintang and the CPC thought about a common way to create a future constitution for China.

The Democratic or Junior Parties

The democratic parties (minzhu dangpai 民主党派) participated and were—as junior parties to the CPC—integrated into the political system.

The People's Central Government Council

The People's Central Government Council (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu weiyuanhui 中央人民政府委员会) was responsible for the general line and for domestic and foreign policy. It promulgated laws and decrees, ratified and abrogated treaties, and approved the budget. It consisted of a Chairman (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu zhuxi 中央人民政府主席, Mao Zedong), six Vice-Chairmen (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu fuzhuxi 中央人民政府副主席: Zhu De 朱德, Liu Shaoqi 刘少奇, Song Qingling 宋庆龄, Zhang Lan 张澜, Li Jishen 李济深, and Gao Gang 高岗), and 56 members.

The State Administrative Council

Below the Government Council was the State Administrative Council (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu zhengwuyuan 中央人民政府政务院), which was responsible the putting the former's decisions into effect. It was presided over by Prime Minister (zongli 总理) Zhou Enlai (who was assisted by four, later five Vice Premiers, fuzongli 副总理), namely Dong Biwu 董必武, Chen Yun 陈云, Guo Moruo 郭沫若, Huang Yanpei 黄炎培, and from 1952 Deng Xiaoping 邓小平) and controlled about 30 ministries and other bodies, organized in four committees:

The Four Committees

The Political and Legal Affairs Committee (Zhengzhi falü weiyuanhui 政治法律委员会) was presided over by Dong Biwu 董必武, the Economy and Finance Committee (Caizheng jingji weiyuanhui 财政经济委员会) by Chen Yun 陈云, the Culture and Education Committee (Wenhua jiaoyu weiyuanhui 文化教育委员会) by Guo Moruo, and the People's Control Committee (Renmin jiancha weiyuanhui 人民监察委员会, a reminiscence of the Republican Control Yuan) by Tan Pingshan 谭平山. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Waijiaobu 外交部, whose jurisdiction also included matters of Overseas Chinese) understood directly the control of the Prime Minister, who was concurrently Foreign Minister until 1958. The same was true for several other institutions.

Institutions Directly Reporting to the Government Council

Two very important institutions were directly responsible to the Central Government Council, namely the People's Revolutionary Military Council (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu renmin geming junshi weiyuanhui 中央人民政府人民革命军事委员会), headed by Mao Zedong, and the Supreme People's Court (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu zuigao renmin fayuan 中央人民政府最高人民法院) and the related Procuratorate (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu zuigao renmin chashu 中央人民政府最高人民检察署). Another one was the State Planning Commission (Zhongyang renmin zhengfu guojia jihua weiyuanhui 中央人民政府国家计划委员会), inaugurated in 1952.

Territorial Administration

The territory of China was divided into six large administrative regions with administrative commissions (Daqu xingzheng weiyuanhui 大区行政委员会), corresponding to the six zones of action (da junqu 大军区 or yiji junqu 一级军区) of the four field armies of the People's Liberation Army. Alongside the People's Governments of the Northeast and the North were four regional governments called military administrative committees (junzheng weiyuanhui 军政委员会), headed by the commanders of each of the four field armies (yezhanjun 野战军). Because these men were also regional Party secretaries, they had considerable power. Administrative and military functions were in one hand in each of these four committees until November 1952. The regional system itself was abolished in April 1954, as a consequence of the Gao Gang affair. Yet it reappeared in a different practice in January 1961, as part of the Socialist Education Campaign, with regional delegates of the Central Committee (daibiao zhongyang fenbie jiaqiang dui ge sheng, shi, zizhiqu dangwei de lingdao 代表中央分别加强对各省、市、自治区党委的领导 "leaders representing the Central Committee strengthening the Party committee of each province, city, and autonomous region"). The large administrative regions were finally abolished in October 1966 at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.