Published : 2025-10-09

On 9 October 1949, the First National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held its first meeting in Beijing.

A total of 151 members of the National Committee attended the meeting. The total number of committee members was 198, of which 18 were vacancies reserved to accommodate appropriate representatives from newly liberated areas, another 21 members had already left Beijing at that time, and 8 members had requested leave for personal affairs or illness.

The main agenda of the meeting was to hear Zhou Enlai's report on the consultation process of the participating units, and to elect the chairman, vice-chairmen, standing committee members and secretary-general of the First National Committee. Among them, Mao Zedong was elected chairman, and Zhou Enlai and others were the vice-chairmen.

In addition, the meeting also passed the proposal to make 1 October the National Day to commemorate the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and decided to submit it to the Central People's Government for adoption and implementation.