Strive to Build a Great Socialist Country
#PUBLICATION NOTE
This edition of Strive to Build a Great Socialist Country has been prepared and revised for digital publication by the Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism under the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Switzerland on the basis of the following edition: Strive to Build a Great Socialist Country, in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, First English Edition, Vol. 5, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 1977.
#INTRODUCTION NOTE
This is the opening address delivered by Comrade Mao Zedong at the First Plenary Session of the First National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, China on the 15th of September, 1954. It was first published in the Renmin Ribao (16th of September, 1954).
The First Plenary Session of the First National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China was held in Beijing, China in September, 1954. It elected Comrade Mao Zedong President of the People's Republic of China, Comrade Zhu De Vice-President of the People's Republic of China, Liu Shaoqi Chairperson of the First Standing Committee of the First National People's Congress, Zhou Enlai Premier of the First State Council, Dong Biwu President of the First Supreme People's Court, and Zhang Dingcheng General Procurator of the First Supreme People's Procuratorate.
#Workers and oppressed people of the world, unite!
#STRIVE TO BUILD A GREAT SOCIALIST COUNTRY
#OPENING ADDRESS AT THE FIRST PLENARY SESSION OF THE FIRST NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
#Mao Zedong
#15th of September, 1954
#★
Fellow Deputies!
The First Plenary Session of the First National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China opens today in our capital, Beijing.
The total number of deputies is 1'226, of whom 1'211 have registered for attendance and 15 were unable to register on account of illness or for other reasons and asked for leave of absence; 70 who registered cannot take part today on account of illness or for other reasons. The actual number of deputies present at today's meeting is 1'141, which constitutes a quorum.
The First Plenary Session of the First National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China is charged with important tasks.
The tasks of the present session are:
- To adopt a constitution.
- To enact a number of important laws.
- To adopt the report on the work of the government.
- To elect the new leading personnel of the State.
Our present session is of great and historic significance. It is a milestone marking the new victories and advances of our people since the founding of our People's Republic in 1949. The Constitution to be adopted at this session will tremendously promote the socialist cause in our country.
Our general task is to unite the whole people and win the support of all our friends abroad in the struggle to build a great socialist country, defend world peace, and advance the cause of human progress.
The people of our country should work hard, do their best to draw on advanced experience in the Council Union and other fraternal countries, be honest and industrious, encourage and help each other, guard against boastfulness and arrogance, and gird themselves to build our country, which is at present economically and culturally backward, into a great industrialized country with a high standard of modern culture in the course of several five-year plans.
Ours is a just cause. A just cause is invincible before any enemy.
The force at the core leading our cause forward is the Communist Party of China.
The theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism.
We are fully confident that we can overcome all difficulties and hardships and make our country a great socialist republic.
We are advancing.
We are now engaged in a great and most glorious cause, never undertaken by our ancestors.
Our goal must be attained.
Our goal can unquestionably be attained.