The General Line of the Transition Period

Building socialism was a goal set by the CPC when this political party was founded. Given the semi-colonial and semi-feudal conditions, China had to take two steps to establish the socialist system: first to win the new democratic revolution over imperialism and feudalism, and then to transition to the socialist revolution. No steps could be skipped in this process.

As the People's Republic was founded, the central leadership had agreed that the country would need a period of new democratic construction before realizing nationalization of capitalist industry and commerce, and collectivization of individual agriculture. This would take at least 10 to 15 years, or longer or shorter depending on the changes in the situation.

But this plan soon changed due to changes in the domestic and external situation. By 1952, China had roughly completed its land reform. Its economy was recovering quickly, and it would soon wind up its involvement in the Korean War as the two sides had reached agreement on some major issues. At the same time, new social problems had emerged requiring new policies and solutions. In the circumstances, the CPC believed that it had become necessary and possible to end the conflict between the working class and the bourgeoisie and to begin socialist transformation in both rural and urban areas. Thus emerged the task of transition toward socialism.

In June 1953, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee laid down a general line for the "transition period," which spanned from the founding of the People's Republic to the basic completion of socialist transformation. The general line or general task of the Party for this transition period was to basically accomplish China's socialist industrialization and its socialist transformation of agriculture, handicraft industry, and capitalist industry and commerce. To this end, China would have to simultaneously proceed with its socialist development and transform private ownership of the means of production.

This general line of the Party was defined as the general task of the state for the same transition period in the first Constitution of the People's Republic adopted at the First Session of the First NPC in September 1954.

Of the general line, socialist industrialization was the main element, as an objective requirement and necessary condition for achieving independence and prosperity; the socialist transformation of agriculture and handicraft industry and of capitalist industry and commerce were the two wings.

The general line was a major decision by the CPC based on the changing political and economic conditions after the new regime was established. It won extensive support as a program to unite and mobilize the whole nation to build a great socialist new China.

過渡時期總路線

在中國實現社會主義，是中國共產黨自創立時就確定的奮斗目標。但在半殖民地半封建社會的歷史條件下，實現社會主義必須分兩步走：首先取得反帝反封建的新民主主義革命勝利，然后才能轉入社會主義革命。這是中國革命發展的必由之路。在新中國建立之時，中共中央認為，先經過一段新民主主義建設時期，再實行資本主義工商業的國有化和個體農業的集體化。這至少要10年到15年，然后視情況而定。

1952年，土地改革基本完成，國民經濟迅速恢復，朝鮮停戰談判雙方在主要問題上達成協議，抗美援朝戰爭可望不久結束。同時，中國社會生活中也出現和積累了一些新的矛盾。在這種情況下，中國共產黨認為，解決工人階級與資產階級的矛盾，在農村和城市開始逐步進行社會主義改造的步驟已經成為必要并有現實可能，于是提出向社會主義過渡的問題。

1953年6月，中共中央政治局正式討論和制定了中國共產黨在過渡時期總路線：從中華人民共和國成立，到社會主義改造基本完成，這是一個過渡時期。黨在這個過渡時期的總路線和總任務，是要在一個相當長的時期內，逐步實現國家的社會主義工業化，并逐步實現國家對農業、對手工業和對資本主義工商業的社會主義改造。這是一條社會主義建設與改造同時并舉的路線。1954年9月，第一屆全國人民代表大會第一次會議通過了《中華人民共和國憲法》，以根本大法的形式，把中國共產黨在過渡時期的總路線作為國家在過渡時期的總任務確定下來。

在過渡時期的總路線中，實現國家的社會主義工業化是主體，是國家獨立富強的客觀要求和必要條件；對農業、手工業的社會主義改造，對資本主義工商業的社會主義改造，分別為兩翼。過渡時期總路線是中國共產黨在新中國成立后政治、經濟新變化的基礎上作出的重大決策，符合當時中國的發展實際和規律，得到全國人民的廣泛擁護，成為團結和動員全國人民共同為建設一個偉大的社會主義新中國而奮斗的新的綱領。