History of the Peoples Republic of China

1978 Constitution of the People's Republic of China
1978 Constitution of the People's Republic of China ©Image Attribution forthcoming. Image belongs to the respective owner(s).
1978 Mar 5

1978 Constitution of the People's Republic of China

China

The 1978 Constitution of the People's Republic of China was formally adopted at the First Meeting of the Fifth National People's Congress on March 5, 1978, two years after the downfall of the Gang of Four. This was the third Constitution of the PRC, and it featured 60 articles compared to the 30 of the 1975 Constitution. It restored certain features of the 1954 Constitution, such as term limits for party leaders, elections, and increased independence in the judiciary, as well as introducing new elements such as the Four Modernizations policy and a clause that declared Taiwan to be part of China. The Constitution also reaffirmed citizens' rights, including the right to strike, while still requiring support for the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and the socialist system. Despite its revolutionary language, it was superseded by the 1982 Constitution of the People's Republic of China during the Deng Xiaoping era.

Last Updated: Thu Jan 19 2023

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