2nd National People's Congress

The 2nd National People's Congress was an important meeting of representatives from China. It happened between 1959 and 1964. During this time, the Congress met four times to discuss and decide on many important issues for the country. This group played a big role in shaping the rules and plans that guided China during those years.

Background

The 2nd National People's Congress was special because it would be the first Congress chosen under the 1954 Constitution of the People's Republic of China. In February 1959, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress finished preparing for the selection of deputies. Representatives from provincial legislatures and the legislatures of the two cities Beijing and Shanghai voted for these deputies, following the rules set in the 1953 Electoral Law.

Seat distribution

The first session

The first session took place from April 18 to April 28, 1959. During this session, Mao Zedong gave up his job as chairman of the People's Republic, and Liu Shaoqi took over that role. The Congress chose several important leaders for the country, including:

• Chairman of the People's Republic of China: Liu Shaoqi
• Vice Chairmen of the People's Republic of China: Soong Ching-ling and Dong Biwu
• Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress: Zhu De
• Premier of the State Council: Zhou Enlai
• President of the Supreme People's Court: Xie Juezai
• Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate: Zhang Dingcheng