October 13–31
The enlarged 12th Plenary Session of the 8th CPC Central Committee was held. The political conclusion reached and the organizational punishment meted out regarding Liu Shaoqi’s case during the meeting proved to be completely wrong. On November 12, 1969, Liu Shaoqi died under the weight of false charges in Kaifeng City of Henan Province. In February 1980, the 5th Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee rehabilitated Liu Shaoqi and annulled the various false charges against him.
December 22
The People’s Daily published Mao Zedong’s instructions—“It is highly necessary for young people with education to go to the countryside to be re-educated by the poor and lower-middle farmers.” This brought about an upsurge of educated young people going to the countryside. From October 31 to December 10 in 1978, the State Council convened a meeting on the work of educated youths going to the countryside. The meeting decided to adjust the policies and gradually downsize the movement, and some qualified cities were allowed to stop mobilizing their urban youths. In November 1981, the movement of going to the countryside came to an end.
December 29
The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge was completed and opened to traffic. It was at that time the largest road-rail truss bridge independently designed and built by China.
From: Chronicle of the People's Republic of China (October 1949 — September 2019) ,edited by The Institute of Party History and Literature of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, PP70-71