In 1949, Huang Yanpei wanted to keep the abbreviation of "Zhonghua **", but Situ Meitang was angry: he disagreed
On September 26, 1949, a banquet was held in the Six Nations Hotel in Beijing, inviting 30 seniors during the Xinhai Revolution to discuss the abbreviation of the name of New China.
At the banquet, Huang Yanpei advocated retaining the abbreviation of "Zhonghua **", but Situ Meitang stood up indignantly and announced in a loud voice: "I don't agree!" ”
Nowadays, on some public occasions in our country, we often hear the full name of the solemn state of the People's Republic of China with solemn respect.
However, many people may not know that the establishment of this name has been the subject of fierce debate and controversy!
What really happened then?
The first session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference).
In the modern international community, international law has four clear provisions on the basic elements of national identity.
First of all, there must be a fixed territory; secondly, there needs to be settled residents; Third, there must be a sound ** organization; Finally, there is the need to have full sovereignty.
In 1949, as the War of Liberation came to an end, the dawn of victory for the Communist Party of China had already appeared, and all the conditions for the founding of New China were basically in place.
In the face of the increasingly ripe time for the founding of the country, the Communist Party of China and the democratic parties are intensively preparing for the great plan of founding the country.
In June of the same year, the first meeting of the new CPPCC was held in Zhongnanhai.
At the meeting, ** shouted three slogans, one of which was "Long live the People's Democratic Republic of China".
Some friends may wonder why there are two more words in the opening speech at that time?
As a matter of fact, the original name of the country was "People's Democratic Republic of China," and a drafting committee was set up to study the issue of this name.
On the 16th of the same month, the Standing Committee of the Preparatory Committee of the New Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) set up six groups on matters related to the founding of the People's Republic of China, each responsible for drafting documents in different aspects.
The fourth group was responsible for formulating the first plan at that time, with Dong Biwu as the leader and Huang Yanpei as the deputy leader.
In the early stages of preparation, the working groups used the name "People's Democratic Republic of China" when drafting documents, and the revision of the country's name was not the focus of discussions.
There seemed to be no disagreement with the name already mentioned by the Chair.
However, on the last day of the meeting, when Zhang Xiruo, a professor at Tsinghua University, participated in the discussion of the Organic Law of the People's Republic of China, he always felt that the name was too long and made him feel uncomfortable.
Therefore, Zhang Xiruo put forward an opinion, hoping to delete two words to make the name more concise and easy to remember.
Subsequently, others also raised the issue of the long name of the country and started a discussion.
Zhang Xiruo put forward his own suggestions: "There are a few old gentlemen who think that our country name is too long, and it is very inconvenient to read and write. Some gentlemen suggested removing the word 'democracy', and I also think that it would be nice to call it the People's Republic of China! ”
He continued: "Actually, the word democracy is the same as the Greek word for democracy. The meaning of the words "people" and "democracy" is somewhat repetitive, and it will be clearer when it is removed. ”
Zhang Xiruo insisted that the presence of the people represents democracy, because the people generally refer to the workers, peasants, petty bourgeoisie, and national bourgeoisie.
There is no doubt that our country is a people's democratic regime, and the people have perfectly expressed their democratic will, and there is no need to repeat it.
Of course, in addition to Zhang Xiruo's objections, other members of the Standing Committee of the Preparatory Committee and the leaders of various groups also raised different views.
Subsequently, more people expressed the view that there were similarities between "democracy" and "republican" in terms of expression, so there was no need for a juxtaposition.
After many discussions and revisions, the Preparatory Committee of the New CPPCC finally made a decision to change the name of the country from "People's Democratic Republic of China" to "People's Republic of China."
2. Why did you choose the name "People's Republic of China"? After all, this is the name of the great Motherland, and caution is required when revising. Why, then, did the Preparatory Committee for the New CPPCC decide to adopt the name "People's Republic of China"?
In response to the concerns of all parties, the Prime Minister made a clear explanation in his work report on 7 September.
First, as to why the word "democracy" was removed, the reason is that "democracy" and "republican" have similar meanings.
As a country name, avoid semantic repetition and excessive verbosity, and the word "republic" is more appropriate.
Secondly, as to why the word "republic" was retained, the premier has stated that since the Xinhai Revolution, the official name of China has indeed been "Zhonghua**".
Although the name of the country contains the meaning of "republic", it is not entirely so.
Moreover, there is a certain pun on the interpretation of this country name, which is easy to cause ambiguity and puzzling. On the occasion of the founding of the People's Republic of China, it is necessary to make a clear distinction between the old and the new democracy.
In order to make the name of the country more in line with the essence of the country and in line with the concept of political science, the prime minister advocated that the name of the country be determined as "People's Republic of China".
Finally, regarding the connotation of the name of the country, the Prime Minister made the following explanation:
Our country practices people's democracy**, which encompasses the four major democratic classes, not the reactionary feudal class and the bureaucratic bourgeoisie.
Of course, ethnic minorities should also be included in the system of the People's Republic of China and enjoy the right to autonomy.
Therefore, the name of the country proposed by Zhang Xiruo was finally widely recognized by the leaders and became the legal name of the country.
3. ** Consultation with the elders of the Xinhai Revolution After the last discussion, all parties agreed that the controversy over the name of the country had come to an end, and there were no other differences.
However, at the end of the CPPCC meeting, another important proposal related to the name of the country appeared, which attracted widespread attention at the meeting!
It turned out that Guo Moruo, Ma Xulun and other well-known democrats proposed to abolish the abbreviation of the term "People's Republic of China" in the common program and organic law documents
They strongly recommended that the normative name "People's Republic of China" be used in all official documents and meetings, and that other abbreviations should not be used.
They have good reason, because the term "Zhonghua**" has been in use since the Xinhai Revolution.
Since we have established a new China and a new regime, we should clearly distinguish it from the first and the first to avoid confusion within the organization.
What's more, the name of the country "Zhonghua**" has long been discredited by Chiang Kai-shek, and the people do not have a good impression of this name, and even some people are afraid and resistant to it.
As a country, the name should be clear and clear, how can it be so vague that people can guess the meaning and relationship for themselves?
There are some people who hold a series of opposing views, believing that the term "Zhonghua**" has a long historical origin, and it is a symbol of the blood condensation of the revolutionary ancestors, especially the great men led by Sun Yat-sen.
If it is lightly abolished, on the one hand, it may be difficult for the people to adapt, and on the other hand, it will hurt the feelings of those who fought for the old democratic revolution.
Indeed, if we go back in history, many people know that the name "China" was first proposed by the revolutionary pioneer Mr. Sun Yat-sen.
In August 1903, Dr. Sun Yat-sen founded the Aoyama Military School in Tokyo, and further optimized the oath of the Xingzhong Society to "drive out the Tartars, restore China, establish **, and equalize land rights".
This new program was concise and to the point, and at that time it already contained the meaning of "China" and "**".
The following year, Dr. Sun Yat-sen decided to name the nascent bourgeois republic of China as "China."
In 1911, Mr. Sun Yat-sen returned to China from overseas and was elected as the provisional great-great-first, and on New Year's Day of the following year, Sun Yat-sen took the oath of office and officially determined the country name as "China**".
During the Xinhai Revolution, "Zhonghua**", just like the name of the country we are familiar with today, was the belief and goal of thousands of revolutionaries, illuminating the revolutionary road at that time.
As a result, the name held an important place in the hearts of revolutionaries of the time and in modern times.
In the face of mixed opinions, the Prime Minister realized that it was not just a matter of acronyms.
This involves some historical issues, and if not handled carefully, it may hurt the feelings of the people and people inside and outside the party.
On September 26 of the same year, the prime minister convened a special committee to gather veterans who had participated in the Xinhai Revolution.
Attendees included Huang Yanpei, Wu Yuzhang, Lin Boqu, Guo Moruo, Situ Meitang and other prominent figures. ** At the meeting, the Prime Minister briefly highlighted the topic of discussion: whether the abbreviation "Zhonghua**" should be retained in the name of the People's Republic of China, and encouraged everyone to actively participate in the discussion.
Fourth, at the beginning of the "fierce confrontation" between Huang Yanpei and Situ Meitang, the participants expressed their opinions and the atmosphere was gentle. Halfway through, however, the argument erupted violently.
One of the most striking debates was the "fierce confrontation" between Huang Yanpei and Situ Meitang.
Huang Yanpei, an old gentleman who had been a participant in the Xinhai Revolution, was the first to speak.
Huang Yanpei believes that it is very necessary to retain the abbreviation of "Zhonghua**". His reasons are as follows:
First of all, the common people have become accustomed to this name and have been using it for decades, and if it is changed suddenly, it may lead to the discomfort of the common people.
Secondly, the name of this country is not set in stone, the CPPCC is convened every three years, and if it is found that this abbreviation is really inappropriate in subsequent use, it can be canceled later.
Then, the other two patriarchs also expressed their respective views, one side supporting Huang Yanpei and the other opposing an attitude.
After several rounds of discussions, no consensus was reached, and the voices for and against were evenly matched.
At this moment, another patriarch suddenly stood up and announced in a loud voice:
I'm against reservations! I participated in the Xinhai Revolution, and I have great respect for Mr. Sun Yat-sen, but I personally have no good feelings about the name 'Zhonghua**'. ”
The reason is obvious, this 'China **' has long had nothing to do with the people, and in the past 22 years, it has made Chiang Kai-shek's reputation infamous and caused resentment among the people, which is deeply distressing! ”
Situ Meitang made an impassioned statement, and the participants seemed to return to the scene when he fought for the revolution.
What are the similarities and differences between this revolution led by the Communist Party of China and the Xinhai Revolution in the past? ”
Since it is different, the name of our country should be the People's Republic of China, and we should abandon the infamous China **.
In addition, I believe that the determination of the name of the country is a solemn matter that should be taken seriously. If we decide that we want to change, we should completely change ...... all at onceIf we continue to use the name of China, how can we convince the people? ”
Comrades, why do we dare not change the name of our country in the present, as if we were sneaky, even if we had won brilliant victories in the past revolutions? ”
I firmly oppose the use of the abbreviation of Zhonghua **, and I think the People's Republic of China should be used openly! ”
Situ Meitang's eloquent words immediately won warm applause from the audience, and everyone agreed with this view.
In fact, in addition to agreeing with Szeto Meitang's views, I believe that many of those present were impressed by the 83-year-old's unwavering and tenacious character.
Because this "Hongmen veteran" was full of love for the motherland all his life, he actually took great risks before attending this meeting.
Ignoring the obstruction of the Kuomintang, he overcame numerous difficulties and sincerely supported the leadership of our party.
Subsequently, other elders also expressed their opinions, believing that the abbreviation "Zhonghua**" was related to the rule of Chiang Kai-shek, confused, and inappropriate to use in New China!
As for the problem of people's habits, it can be solved relatively easily, and if someone is willing to use the title of Zhonghua ** in private, there is no need to deliberately stop it.
After all, people's democracy is to give the people a certain amount of freedom!
In the end, everyone agreed that as long as the name "People's Republic of China" is resolutely used in official documents and official occasions.
As time passes, the masses of the people will gradually adapt to the new name, and eventually form the habit of using the new name.
5. Implementation of the decision, deletion of inappropriate abbreviationsAfter this meeting, the Prime Minister reported the opinions of the elders to the Standing Committee of the Presidium.
In the end, after full discussion, the Standing Committee of the Presidium decided to adopt the proposal to delete the abbreviation of "Zhonghua**".
In subsequent meetings and documents, only the name of the country "People's Republic of China" appeared as the only name.
Some people may wonder why the prime minister led the elders to discuss the name of the country at that time, and what is the attitude on this crucial issue?
In fact, the understanding of the name of the new China gradually became clear with the evolution of the revolutionary situation.
Among the many alternative names discussed, ** preferred the use of "People's Republic of China" as the most appropriate choice.
In subsequent speeches and writings, ** has always insisted on the accurate use of this country name with a clear attitude.
Perhaps for us, this is just a question of the name of a country, but behind this name is the Chinese Communist Party's characterization and exploration of "what kind of new China to build".
In different revolutionary periods, our party put forward a number of different names for New China, and according to the historical background at that time, each name met the actual needs of that time.
However, as our party's understanding of "New China" has gradually matured and deepened in practice, the determination of the country's name has become more reasonable.
The process of forming the name "People's Republic of China" is in fact a microcosm of a certain aspect of the revolutionary road.
Of course, no matter in which era, we should unanimously recognize the title of "China", because it once had important historical significance, and the contribution of the revolutionaries of the Xinhai Revolution cannot be ignored.
However, as the country developed and changed, the name "People's Republic of China" more clearly expressed the epoch-making significance of the new regime.
It accurately reflects the people's democratic state, profoundly reveals the essence of the people being the masters of the country, and the name of the country is more realistic!
Now it seems that the successful resolution of these two controversies is due to the fact that, on the one hand, our party's pursuit of democracy and respect for the older generation, this important issue has been handed over to people inside and outside the party for democratic discussion.
On the other hand, I would like to thank the Prime Minister for his meticulous and sensitive and active coordination role.
After this round of fierce debates, our party not only established the perfect and lofty name of the "People's Republic of China," but also successfully reconciled the emotional contradictions between the old democrats and the new democrats, thus achieving a successful conclusion.
Summary: As the official name of our country, the "People's Republic of China" embodies the blood and passion of revolutionary martyrs and people from all walks of life inside and outside the party after the founding of the People's Republic of China, both in the past and in the future.
This is not only the naming of the country in internal and external exchanges, but also the lofty belief of every citizen!
The revolutionaries and founders of the previous generations, the dedication behind this country name is needless to say. As contemporary citizens, it is our unshirkable responsibility to use the name of the country in a standardized manner and defend the majesty of the name of the country!