Modern Chinese Legal Reform: New Perspectives

Chronology

Chronology 1949 September 29: The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) passes the Common Program as China’s provisional constitution. October 1: Mao Zedong proclaims the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing. Mao becomes the chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Central Government. The First CPPCC Plenary Session creates the Supreme Court, and Shen Junru is named its president. 1950 The Marriage Law, Trade Union Law, and Agrarian Reform Law are promulgated. September: China launches a mass movement to suppress counterrevolutionaries in rural areas; 1.27 million are incarcerated and 800,000 executed. October 19: The PRC sends a large number of Chinese troops to the Korean War as a “volunteer force” to fight against UN forces. 1951 The government launches the Three Antis and Five Antis movements in the cities to support its War to Resist America and Aid Korea. The central government signs an agreement with the Tibetan government, Measures for the Liberation of Tibet, reorganizing Tibet as part of China and granting the region autonomous status. July 10: Truce negotiations begin in Korea. 1952 Mao calls for a national movement to learn from the Soviet Union under the leadership of Joseph Stalin. The Three Antis and Five Antis campaigns continue against manufacturing, finance, and trading operations in the private sector, and they are viewed as the precursor to xiv  Chronology a looming deprivatization movement. China continues fighting the Korean War while negotiating for peace. 1953 The first Five-Year Plan (1953–1957) starts. January: A committee, headed by Mao, is created by the twenty-first meeting of the central government to draft a constitution. February 11: At its twenty-second meeting, the government passes the Electoral Law, which is published on March 1. July 27: The armistice ending the Korean War is signed. 1954 September 20: The First National People’s Congress (NPC) passes the constitution and elects Mao as the PRC’s president, Zhu De as vice president , Zhou Enlai as premier, Liu Shaoqi as chairman of the NPC, and Dong Biwu as president of the Supreme Court. The First NPC Plenary Session creates the Ministry of Justice and promulgates the Court Organization Law and Procuratorial Law. December: The NPC issues regulations on arrest, detention, and public security organizations. 1955 June 1: The Ministry of Internal Affairs publishes the Marriage Registration Law. July 1: The State Council issues instructions to establish the Residential Registration System. July: The Ministry of Public Security issues regulations on transportation, traffic, radio, telegrams, and electronic communication. July 30: The Second NPC Plenary Session issues the Military Service Law. 1956 May 8: The NPC and CPPCC hold a joint conference and decide important legal issues, including a ban on public trials and criminals’ loss of their political right to life. September 15–27: The Eighth Chinese Communist Party (CCP) National Congress convenes and reelects Mao as chairman for its 6 million party members. Mao calls for the Blooming of the Hundred Flowers movement. Chronology  xv October 10: The State Council issues regulations on the police and law enforcement ranking system. 1957 Mao launches the Anti-Rights movement. August 3: The NPC establishes the Reeducation through Labor (RTL) system to detain counterrevolutionaries without trial for one to twelve years, working as menial laborers on state-owned farms or in factories. October 22: The NPC issues regulations on public security, management, and punishments. 1958 The second Five-Year Plan (1958–1962) begins. May 5–23: The Second Plenum of the Eighth CCP Central Committee passes a new general line with the phrase “more, faster, better, and more economically sound” to build a socialist economy. As part of the general line, the Great Leap Forward movement begins. November 28–December 10: The Sixth Plenum decides to launch the People ’s Commune movement as part of the general line. 1959 March: The State Council appoints the Panchen Lama to chair the Tibetan Preparatory Committee. People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops suppress the Tibetan rebellion. The Dalai Lama flees to India. April: The Second NPC elects Liu Shaoqi as the PRC’s president and Xie Juezai as Supreme Court president. The Ministry of Justice is closed, not to reopen until 1979. July 2–August 16: The CCP Eighth Plenum accuses Peng Dehuai and some PLA generals of forming a “right opportunist clique” in the Party and the army. September 17: Lin Biao replaces Peng as defense minister...