March 1

  The Central People’s Government promulgated the Election Law of the National People’s Congress and the Local People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. After more than a year, over 214,000 organizations and institutions across the country held grass-root elections, with a total of over 323 million registered voters. More than 5.66 million deputies to the grass-root people’s congresses were elected, and the local people’s congresses at all levels were convened. On this basis, 1,226 deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) were elected. 

April 3

The Administrative Council issued the Instructions on National Demographic Registration in Preparation for a General Election. With 24:00 June 30, 1953 as the standard time, a demographic registration was carried out throughout the country. The result of the registration was announced on November 1 of the following year, with a total population of 601,938,035.

May 15

China and the Soviet Union signed the Agreement on the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Assisting the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China in Developing China’s National Economy, stating that the Soviet Union was to assist China with 91 industrial projects. Adding in the 50 projects confirmed in 1950 and the 15 further projects in 1954, a total of 156 Soviet-aided projects were included in China’s First Five-Year Plan. Later after several adjustments, 154 projects were confirmed and 150 went into actual construction. They were still referred to as “156 projects,” for 156 was the number initially known to all.

June 15

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting which decided on the guidelines of utilizing, restricting and transforming capitalist businesses. At the meeting, Mao Zedong expounded for the fifirst time what was involved in the Party’s general line and task during the transitional period. In December, the CPC Central Committee approved Mobilizing All Forces to Build China into a Great Socialist Country: An Outline for Studying and Publicizing the Party’s General Route during the Transitional Period proposed by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

October 16

The CPC Central Committee issued the Resolution on Planned Purchase and Supply of  Grain. On November 15, it issued the Decision on Planned Purchase of  Oil Plants throughout the Country. In September 1954, the Administrative Council issued an order for the planned purchase and supply of cotton cloth, and the planned purchase of cotton. The state began to implement the policy of unified purchase and marketing of major agricultural products such as grain, and that continued right into the middle of the 1980s before being gradually canceled.

December 7–January 26, 1954

A national meeting of senior Party officials of the military was held. In accordance with Mao Zedong’s instructions, the meeting clearly proposed the general policy and task of building an excellent and modernized revolutionary army.

December 26

Anshan Iron and Steel Corporation held a launch ceremony for its three major projects—a large steel rolling mill, a seamless steel pipe plant, and the No. 7 blast furnace. By the end of 1978, a succession of iron and steel enterprises had been built one after another, such as Wuhan Iron and Steel Associate Enterprise, Baotou Iron and Steel Corporation, and Panzhihua Iron and Steel Corporation.

This Year

China began to implement its First Five-year Plan for the development of its national economy. By September 2019, a total of 13 Five-Year Plans had been drawn up and implemented.

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, PP20-23