Speech at the Second Session of the First National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
(June 14–23, 1950)

On June 14, 1950, Mao Zedong delivered the opening address at the Second Session of the First National Committee of the CPPCC.

**Opening Address**

Fellow Committee Members, Fellow Comrades, Fellow Friends:

The Second Session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is now convened. At this session, there are reports on conference affairs, land reform work, economic and financial work, taxation work, diplomatic and united front work, cultural and educational work, military work, and court work, all of which are to be discussed. Among these, the issue of land reform is the central topic of this session. We hope to adopt a land reform bill at this session, which, upon approval by the Central People's Government, will be implemented. This will first enable the more than 100,000 cadres currently preparing for land reform work to study the bill at an early date, so that after this autumn, land system reform can be smoothly carried out in areas with a rural population of approximately 100 million.

Naturally, all other reports are also important. Opinions may be expressed on any matter, and all proposals may be submitted for deliberation; whatever is feasible should be adopted. We have the great and correct "Common Program" as the criterion for reviewing work and discussing issues. The "Common Program" must be fully implemented; it is the fundamental law of our state at present. I am confident that, through the efforts of all comrades, our session will successfully fulfill its tasks. At present, the people of the whole country, under the leadership of the Central People's Government, are engaged in tremendous work, striving to overcome difficulties and achieve a turn for the better in the economic situation. All people's undertakings in our country are advancing along new paths, with progress and achievements visible every day. No difficulty can obstruct the advance of the people's cause. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and its elected National Committee are great united front political organizations that unite all nationalities, all democratic classes, all democratic parties, all people's organizations, and democratic personages from all walks of life, and they enjoy high prestige among the people of the whole country. We must consolidate this unity, strengthen our united front, and lead the people of the whole country steadily toward our goals.

**Closing Address**

This session has summarized the experience of the past period and decided on various policies.

This work of summarizing experience and deciding on policies has been carried out by all of us together—by representatives of all nationalities, all democratic classes, all democratic parties, all people's organizations, and democratic personages from all walks of life gathered together. Here, we have not only the members of the National Committee of the CPPCC but also many staff members from the Central People's Government, the people's governments (military and administrative committees) of the various greater administrative regions, and the people's governments of various provinces and municipalities attending as observers to participate in discussions. Moreover, representatives from the consultative committees of the people's representative conferences of various provinces and municipalities are also attending as observers to participate in discussions, and many specially invited patriotic personages are attending as observers to participate in discussions. In this way, we can gather a broad range of opinions, review past work, and decide on future policies. I hope we will continue to adopt this method in the future, and I also hope that the people's governments (military and administrative committees) of the various greater administrative regions and the people's governments of various provinces and municipalities will adopt this method as well. For the time being, our conference is still advisory in nature. However, in practice, the decisions we make at such conferences are naturally adopted and implemented by the Central People's Government, and they ought to be adopted and implemented.

We have unanimously approved the work report of the National Committee and the various work reports of the Central People's Government. These include reports on land reform work, political work, military work, economic and financial work, taxation work, cultural and educational work, and court work, all of which are excellent. In these reports, the work experience of the past period has been appropriately summarized, and the work policies for the future have been defined. The reason our session has so many topics is that since the founding of our new state, work in all areas is being initiated and developed, and the people of the whole country are vigorously waging great struggles of genuine people's revolution on all fronts—on the military front, on the economic front, on the ideological front, and on the land reform front. These are unprecedentedly great struggles, and all work awaits summarization and policy guidance. Hence, we have so many topics. According to legal provisions, our conference meets twice a year, with one session having numerous topics and the other having fewer topics. China is a large country with an actual population exceeding 475 million, and it is in a great historical period of people's revolution. These circumstances require us to do so, and we have done so. I think we have done the right thing.

Our session has many topics, but the central topic is the reform of the old land system. Everyone has agreed with the report of Vice Chairman Liu Shaoqi and the draft land reform law proposed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and has made several useful revisions and additions to the draft land reform law. This is very good. I am pleased and congratulate the hundreds of millions of rural people of New China on gaining the opportunity to turn over a new leaf and the nation on acquiring the basic conditions for industrialization. The majority of China's population consists of peasants. The revolution succeeded only with the assistance of the peasants, and the nation's industrialization will succeed only with the assistance of the peasants. Therefore, the working class should actively help the peasants carry out land reform, the urban petty bourgeoisie and the national bourgeoisie should also support this reform, and all democratic parties and people's organizations should adopt this attitude even more so. War and land reform are two "passes" that test all people and all parties in China during the historical period of New Democracy. Whoever stands on the side of the revolutionary people is a revolutionary; whoever stands on the side of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism is a counter-revolutionary. Whoever merely professes to stand on the side of the revolutionary people in words but acts otherwise is a verbal revolutionary; if one stands on the side of the revolutionary people not only in words but also in deeds, then one is a complete revolutionary. The pass of war has basically been passed, and we have all passed it very well, to the satisfaction of the people of the whole country. Now we must pass the pass of land reform. I hope we all pass it just as well as we passed the pass of war. Let everyone study more, consult more, straighten out thinking, align our steps, and form a great anti-feudal united front. Then we can lead the people and help them pass this pass smoothly. Once the passes of war and land reform are passed, the remaining pass will be easier to pass—that is the pass of socialism, the pass of carrying out socialist transformation nationwide. As long as people have contributed in the revolutionary war and in the revolutionary reform of the land system, and continue to contribute in the many years of economic and cultural construction to come, when the time comes to nationalize private industry and socialize agriculture (which is still far in the future), the people will not forget them, and their future will be bright. Our country is advancing steadily in this way: through war, through New Democratic reforms, and in the future, after the nation's economic and cultural undertakings have greatly flourished, after all conditions are met, and after the people of the whole country have thought it through and agreed upon it, we can calmly and properly enter the new period of socialism. I believe it is necessary to make this point clear, so that people may have confidence and not waver or worry, wondering when they will be cast aside, thinking that even if they wish to serve the people, they will have no opportunity. No, it will not be so.