Informal Letter Discussing the Constitutional Report
(September 9, 1954)
Gao Zhi[1] informed by telephone: Please ask Comrades Zhou, Zhu, Chen, and Xiaoping[2] to read the first two chapters of Comrade Shaoqi’s constitutional report before 5 p.m. today and again after 7 p.m., so that around 11 p.m. we can meet at my residence with Shaoqi and Boda[4] to discuss certain issues contained in these two chapters.
Mao Zedong
2 a.m., September 9th
[1]
Gao Zhi, who at the time served as Mao Zedong’s secretary.
[2]
“Yong” refers to Zhou Enlai. “Zhu” refers to Zhu De. “Chen” refers to Chen Yun, who was then a Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the Government Administration Council. “Xiaoping” is Deng Xiaoping, who at the time held the posts of Secretary-General of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the Government Administration Council. All of them were members of the Drafting Committee for the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China.
[3]
The first chapter of Liu Shaoqi’s report on the draft Constitution of the People’s Republic of China was titled “The Draft Constitution of the People’s Republic of China Is a Summation of Historical Experience,” while the second chapter was “Several Explanations Concerning the Basic Contents of the Draft Constitution.”
[4]
“Boda” refers to Chen Boda, who at the time was Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Drafting Committee for the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China.

Archival Photo
On September 9, 1954, Mao Zedong presided over the 34th meeting of the Central People’s Government Committee, at which the revised draft Constitution of the People’s Republic of China was discussed and adopted. The draft constitution was approved by a show of hands from the committee members.