Published : 2025-09-20
On September 20, 1954, the first Constitution of People's Republic of China (PRC) was declared.
This drafting and approval of the "1954 Constitution" (五四憲法) at the 1st Session of the 1st National People's Congress took a total of eight months and 12 days.
In terms of content and structure, it has five major features, namely, legally guaranteeing the implementation of the general line during the transition period, legally guaranteeing the democratisation of the country, legally strengthening the unity of all ethnic groups, representing an evolution of the "1949 Common Programme" (共同綱領), and striving for a structure and language that is concise and easily understandable.
The "1954 Constitution" originated from a draft by Chen Boda (陳伯達). After being rejected, starting from January 9, 1954, the constitution drafting group led by Mao Zedong (毛澤東) started re-drafting in Hangzhou. The group members included Hu Qiaomu (胡喬木), Chen Boda, and Tian Jiaying (田家英).
On March 23, 1954, Mao Zedong formally presented the Draft Constitution of the People's Republic of China (Preliminary Draft) on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to the Constitution Drafting Committee.
On June 14, 1954, Mao presided over the 13th meeting of the Central People's Government Committee. After discussion, the meeting unanimously passed the Draft Constitution of the People's Republic of China, and officially announced it on the same day, submitting it to the people nationwide for discussion and soliciting opinions.
Following the "1954 Constitution", and in response to shifts in the political, economic, and broader social landscape, China has undertaken several comprehensive revisions to its constitution since 1982.
The current version is primarily based on the "1982 Constitution" (八二憲法), which was reviewed and adopted by the 5fth Session of the 5th National People's Congress on December 4, 1982.
