Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung
September 15, 1954
[Opening address at the First Session of the First National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.]
Fellow Deputies,
The First Session of the First National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China opens today in our capital, Peking.
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 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; and
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 Soviet 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 Chinese Communist Party.
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 forefathers.
Our goal must be attained.
Our goal can unquestionably be attained.
Let all the 600 million people of our country unite and strive for our common cause!
Long live our great motherland!