February 6–10

The 4th Plenary Session of the 7th CPC Central Committee was held, which adopted the Resolution on Strengthening the Unity of the Party.

April 15

The CPC Central Committee and the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People’s Government promulgated the Regulations on Political Work of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (Draft), the fifirst of its kind since the founding of the PRC.

April 26–July 21

Zhou Enlai led a Chinese delegation to the Geneva Conference addressing the peaceful settlement of the North Korean issue and restoring peace to Indochina. This was the first time that the PRC had participated in an important international conference as one of the five major countries.

June 28–29

While visiting India and Myanmar, Zhou Enlai made a Joint Statement respectively with Indian Prime Minister Nehru and Myanmar Prime Minister U Nu, jointly advocating the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.” Earlier on December 31, 1953, Zhou Enlai had initially proposed the five principles while meeting with the Indian delegation participating in the Sino-Indian negotiation.

June–September

The Yangtze River and the Huaihe River suffered the worst floods in a century. The Party committees and governments in the disaster-stricken areas wasted no time in mobilizing and organizing people to move to safer places, did relief work by giving people employment instead of outright grants, and finally defeated the floods.

July

Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Factory successfully produced the T-5 trainer plane on a trial basis. By the end of 1978, the PRC had successfully manufactured F-5 fifighter planes, T-5 transport planes, H-5 helicopters, B-5 bombers and other models.

September 15–28

  The 1st Session of the 1st NPC was held, marking the actual nationwide implementation of the system of the People’s Congress. The meeting passed the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Mao Zedong was elected chairman of the People’s Republic of China and Liu Shaoqi chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. Zhou Enlai was appointed as premier of the State Council, and the establishment of the National Defense Commission was proposed with Mao Zedong as chairman.

September 28

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee issued the Resolution on Establishing the CPC Central Military Commission. Mao Zedong was appointed as chairman and Peng Dehuai was to take charge of the routine work of the Commission.

October 7

In accordance with the approval issued on August 6 by the Headquarters of General Staff of the CPC Central Military Commission, the Xinjiang Military Region announced the establishment of its Production and Construction Corps. In March 1975, the Corps was replaced by the General Administration of Agricultural Reclamation of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. On December 3, 1981, the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, and the CPC Central Military Commission issued the Decisions on Resuming the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

 December 21–25

The 1st Session of the 2nd CPPCC National Committee was held. Zhou Enlai made a political report, stating that as the 1st Session of the 1st NPC had been held, the CPPCC no longer played the role of an interim power organ of the NPC, but its role in the united front still stood. Mao Zedong was elected honorary chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and Zhou Enlai chairman, and the Constitution of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference was adopted.

December 25

The Kangding-Tibet (later renamed Sichuan-Tibet) Highway and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway were opened to traffic. Mao Zedong wrote an inscription “Congratulations on the Kangding-Tibet Highway’s and Qinghai-Tibet Highway’s opening to traffic! Let’s consolidate the unity of the people of all ethnic groups and build a better country of ours!” Later more highways were completed, such as the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway and the Yunnan-Tibet Highway.

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, PP24-28