Internal Section

January 14-20

Party Central Committee convenes meeting: Discusses question of intellectuals; Zhou Enlai delivers Report on Question of intellectuals, Mao Zedong calls on all Party members to learn scientific knowledge, be united with non-Party intellectuals and to work hard to catch up with advanced world levels in science and technology.

January 15

Beijing, Tiananmen Square. Rally attended by more than 200,000 celebrates transfer of all city's individually owned industrial and commercial enterprises into joint state-private ones.

January 25

Mao Zedong convenes Supreme State Conference to discuss Draft National Program for Agricultural Development 1956-67, submitted by Party Central Committee on January 23. Full text issued later same day.

April 25

At enlarged meeting of Party Central Committee's Political Bureau, Mao Zedong delivers speech On the Ten Major Relationships, providing basic summary of the country's experiences in socialist construction and proposes task of exploring various ways of building socialism to find one that suits China's conditions.

May 2

Mao Zedong proposes at Supreme State Conference that policy to let a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend should be followed in art, literature and academic research.

June 7

Chinese weight-lifter Chen Jingkai breaks world clean and jerk record of 132.5 kilograms in the bantamweight class by lifting 133 kilograms. This is the first time for Chinese athlete to break world record.

September 15-27

Eighth National Congress of Communist Party of China is convened in Beijing. Mao Zedong makes opening speech, Liu Shaoqi delivers political report, Deng Xiaoping reports on revision of Constitution of Communist Party of China, and Zhou Enlai gives report on proposals for Second Five-Year Plan for development of national economy. Congress adopts these reports and passes relevant resolutions. Congress points out that fundamentally a system has been established in China, principal contradiction in the country is no longer between working class and bourgeoisie, but between people's rapidly growing economic and cultural needs and inability to meet them. It notes that main task of people of whole country is to concentrate their efforts on developing social productive forces. In economic construction, Congress emphasizes tile need to oppose conservative ideas and premature advances by proceeding in steady and balanced manner. Congress also stresses need to persist in democratic centralism and collective leadership, to develop inner-Party democracy and people's democracy, to strengthen ties between Party and masses and to oppose the personality cult. However in following years, these basic principles

September 28 were not put into effect.

First Plenary Session of Eighth Central Committee of Communist Party of China elects new central leadership, with Mao Zedong as chairman of Central Committee, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and Chen Yun as vice-chairmen, and Deng Xiaoping as general secretary.

December 8

Mao Zedong holds informal discussion with some former industrialists and businessmen. At meeting, he indicates how they can play a positive role in socialist construction through joint state-private ownership, pointing out that from 1956, fixed interest rates will remain for seven years, time may be prolonged in case of financial difficulties.

End of 1956

Some 96.3 percent of farmer households in countryside and over 90 percent of handicraft workers have joined co-operatives; 99 percent of privately owned industrial enterprises and 85 percent of privately owned commercial enterprises have become joint state private ones. China has basically completed socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts, and capitalist industry and commerce. Principal targets of First Five-Year Plan are fulfilled in 1956, one year ahead of schedule. From 1953 to 1956, China's industrial output value increased at average annual rate of 19.6 percent, and total agricultural output value at 4.8 percent.

¡¡ Foreign Relations

February 4-March 17

Chinese delegation headed by Zhu De, member of Secretariat of CPC Central Committee visits Soviet Union and attends 20th Congress of Communist Party of Soviet Union. March 14-17, Zhu is in Poland to attend funeral of Boleslaw Bierut, first secretary of Central Committee of Polish United Workers' Party.

April 5 and December 29

Renmin Ribao (People's daily) publishes two articles by its editorial board about Stalin. ``On the Historical Experience of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat,'' April 5, and ``Again On the Historical Experience of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat,'' December 29. These articles are based on resolution of enlarged meeting of Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee.

May 29

Chinese Foreign Ministry issues statement saying that China brooks no violation of its sovereignty over the Nansha Islands.

May 30

Diplomatic relations established with Egypt.

August 1

Diplomatic relations established with Syria.

August 21

China's Supreme People's Procuratorate announces that it will not indict the 354 Japanese war criminals under arrest and releases them without delay. The cases of all l,062 Japanese war criminals placed under arrest in China have already been concluded by the Chinese government. .

September 24

Diplomatic relations established with Arab Republic of Yemen.

November 17-Fehruary 6,1957

Premier Zhou and Vice-Premier He Long visit 11 Asian and European countries Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Burma, Pakistan, Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, Afghanistan, Nepal and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).