When the founding of the People's Republic of China was about to be ten years old, Chairman Mao raised several times that "it is not suitable for him to continue to serve as the president of the country", and the candidate he recommended to succeed him was Liu Shaoqi.
At the second National People's Congress in 1959, Liu Shaoqi was elected president of the country. Extrapolating from common sense, this result represents the trust and affirmation of the national delegates, and should be something to be happy about. However, many people who experienced the scene at that time invariably mentioned a detail: although the staff around him could not hide their excitement and lined up to welcome, Liu Shaoqi himself did not show a smile, and walked into the office quietly as soon as he came back. The reason for this was revealed by his wife Wang Guangmei many years later.
Voting at the National People's Congress
When the calendar of New China advanced to 1958 and 1959, Chairman Mao had already expressed his opinion on several occasions that "it is not appropriate for him to be the next president of the country." As a result, at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee and the Seventh Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee held successively, the matter was formally agreed to by resolution, and Liu Shaoqi was also formally determined as a candidate for the presidency proposed to the Second National People's Congress.
This year's Second National People's Congress was also convened as scheduled. When Chairman Mao and other leaders appeared on the rostrum of the first session of the National People's Congress, the audience erupted in long-lasting warm applause.
The meeting required a significant voting process – starting with the Executive Chairman announcing the list of candidates, followed by a consultation with delegates on whether there were any other nominees? After determining the range of candidates, Chairman Mao, like an ordinary delegate, threw his vote into the ballot box.
The election at this meeting had already attracted widespread attention before the voting began, and the results were announced immediately, and Liu Shaoqi was elected president of the new China.
The dust finally settled on the major events that had been concerned for a long time, and the clear results were obtained, and the delegates who participated in the voting were somewhat relieved and relaxed, and many people began to laugh softly, and their faces also showed bright and relaxed expressions.
However, these relaxed atmospheres and expressions never seem to have been able to infect one person, that is, Liu Shaoqi himself, who should be at the center of attention. Throughout the meeting, from being nominated, listed as a candidate, voting to the results of the vote count, he never showed a smile.
Even until he left the venue and returned home, his expression still maintained an almost heavy seriousness, although the staff could not hide their excitement and lined up to welcome and congratulate, but Liu Shaoqi did not respond to everyone's enthusiasm, but hurriedly nodded to everyone, and walked into the office alone with a heavy heart.
Why not smile?
In the first time after confirming his election as president, Liu Shaoqi did not show expressions such as joy, joy, and pride, but seemed preoccupied. This detail has been mentioned by many people who experienced the scene at that time, because everyone felt that this performance was "unusual" and not consistent with the impression Liu Shaoqi usually gave people.
So what kind of person is Liu Shaoqi on weekdays?
The famous British journalist James Bertrand once wrote his experience in China as "The North China Front", in which he mentioned Liu Shaoqi, the chief of staff who had just turned 30 during the War of Resistance Against Japan. Bertrand himself studied at Yenching University, and reported in depth on major historical events such as the Xi'an Incident and the Eighth Route Army's War of Resistance behind enemy lines.
In the process of interviewing and collecting news materials from various places, Bertrand once met Liu Shaoqi, who Bertrand believed was full of affinity, and his words and deeds were completely arrogant, and even when he was mixed in with a large group of soldiers, he always seemed "friendly and straightforward". In particular, the "little ghost" fighters in the army who have not yet fully reached adulthood are both admired and close to him.
Rodrik McFarquhar, a scholar from the United States (who gave himself the Chinese name "Ma Ruode") once said that he was "the most insipid character", and Liu Shaoqi in his eyes was both steady and calm and very easy-going.
The staff of Zhongnanhai during the New China period also recalled: At that time, Zhongnanhai usually had a dance party and entertainment activities in the evening, and Liu Shaoqi and Wang Guangmei always came together at nine o'clock, and they were humble and cordial to everyone, which made people feel very relaxed.
Such a person, but lost his smile at that important juncture, which naturally made many people feel "unusual", and then fell into thinking - at that time, did his brain linger with something heavier?
The reason for this was not disclosed by Liu Shaoqi's wife Wang Guangmei in the "Interview" until many years later. Like everyone else, Wang Guangmei also didn't hear Liu Shaoqi talk about it in person, but with a deep understanding of years of living together, she could guess a thing or two.
This is because at that time, New China was at a time when the situation at home and abroad was not optimistic, and economic development had a long way to go, and being elected president of the country was not an honor or status for him, but a symbol of a heavy sense of mission. Liu Shaoqi deeply felt that he was "ordered to be in danger", and the heavy responsibility filled his mind, so that he lost his usual calm demeanor.
Chairman Mao: Not to serve as the next president
When it comes to the "state president" of New China, many people's first reaction is Chairman Mao, the first chairman. Because the founding ceremony is a historical event of great significance, on October 1, the loud declaration on the tower of Tiananmen Gate with a strong Hunan accent left an unforgettable impression on everyone.
However, by the time the second National People's Congress was about to be convened several years after the founding of New China, Chairman Mao had already expressed the idea of "not serving as the next president of the country" on many occasions and at different meetings. Not only that, but he also said that once the time is right, he also hopes to no longer serve as party chairman.
From the perspective of an ordinary person, this statement is somewhat puzzling, because he was still in the prime of life at that time, and this idea of "retreating into the background" is somewhat premature. But those old comrades-in-arms who have gone through many years of hardships with Chairman Mao quickly understood his true thoughts.
As a president, it is impossible to ignore the attribute of "head of ceremonies", and it is inevitable to devote a lot of time and energy to participating in public events and taking care of diplomatic etiquette. These works are not unimportant because they are related to the image of New China in the international communication arena, but in Chairman Mao's view, many of them are "miscellaneous matters".
After all, China has just broken free from the predicament of poverty and weakness in the "three mountains", and there are thousands of problems that need to be solved. Chairman Mao hopes to concentrate more on practical issues of people's livelihood, or devote time to analyzing and controlling the international and domestic situation. Because of the above ideas, Chairman Mao has repeatedly expressed his intention to "no longer serve as the next president" to the party and outside the party.
Considering Chairman Mao's prestige and influence, this idea was initially met with some incomprehension and even caused shock, but as time went by, Chairman Mao repeatedly stated his views and explained the reasons, and this idea gradually gained recognition and understanding.
The resolution of the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China added a detailed clause on the "honorary chairman of the Central Committee", and many researchers believe that this clause of "honorary chairman" was actually prepared for Chairman Mao.
At the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee in 1958, the Central Committee formally made a decision: it was agreed that Chairman Mao would not serve as the next president. Then the question moves on to the next step: who should be the successor?
The candidates are out
When the relevant personnel arrangements for the second NPC were still in the gestation stage, the list of candidates for the new president of the country had also undergone many considerations and trade-offs.
At the Seventh Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee gave relevant explanations on the personnel allocation plan. In this report, several candidates for the presidency of the state were proposed, such as President Zhu and several other veteran comrades, all of whom actually had the conditions that they could bear.
But in the end, the choice attitudes of Mao, Zhu, Deng and others gradually favored Liu Shaoqi. Because the position of president of the country is not only important in terms of etiquette and honor, but also needs to deal with a large number of complicated practices, which means that there are certain requirements for the candidate's age, energy, practical ability and seniority.
Regarding this point, Mr. Zhu's own attitude is the most representative. He once wrote to the Secretariat on this matter, earnestly stating that he also proposed that Liu Shaoqi become a candidate for president, and that this choice was "more appropriate". As for what kind of work he undertakes, he has always given priority to the needs of the party and the party's arrangements, and there is no need to have any worries about this.
The arrangement of Liu Shaoqi acting as a substitute for "daily work" duties has been preceded by a number of conventions, and his ability has actually been widely recognized. This is also a big factor why many people want him to be a candidate.
Since the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 1945, Chairman Mao has had three special circumstances and cannot work in time for the Central Committee, all of which were represented by Liu Shaoqi.
The first occurred in 1945 during the Chongqing negotiations, when the Kuomintang seized the moral high ground in the name of peace talks.
In order to gain political initiative, Chairman Mao accepted the invitation for peace talks and went to Chongqing. But at the same time, temporarily handing over the work of the central government to Liu Shaoqi to handle it on his behalf is also to prepare for the worst "in case of misfortune."
The second time occurred in 1949, when Chairman Mao personally led a delegation to visit the Soviet Union. This is an extremely important foreign visit at the time of the founding of New China, which not only strives to resolve historical issues with the Soviet Union, but also opens up a path for the development and construction of New China in the future.
Chairman Mao went all out for this visit, which took a long time, and lasted at least three months in the Soviet Union alone. In these days, someone must preside over the daily affairs of the country in a timely manner, and the agent is Liu Shaoqi.
The third representation occurred in 1953, when Chairman Mao went to West Lake to preside over the drafting of the first draft of the constitution. It also took more than 70 days for the first draft to be released, and Liu Shaoqi once again became the deputy of the chairman's duties.
Although these three agents occurred under different conditions and the background of the times, the results of each agency and the accumulation of more than ten years before and after, Liu Shaoqi's prestige ability has been widely recognized.
epilogue
After being elected as a candidate, Liu Shaoqi himself also resigned many times on different occasions, proposing that "other comrades should take the post". However, after a lot of comprehensive consideration and discussion, there are still many people who believe that he is the most suitable person at the moment, based on the principle of being suitable for the right person.
Wang Guangmei once commented that Liu "has a strong sense of organization", and now that the central government has reached a conclusion, Liu Shaoqi himself will no longer refuse. However, the situation faced by New China at that time was indeed not optimistic: the supply of grain was insufficient, daily necessities were scarce, the rural labor force was reduced, and the fiscal deficit in 1960 was as high as 8 billion yuan; All kinds of objective circumstances further increased his pressure.
It was also from the National Day of this year that the standard portraits of Chairman Mao and Liu Shaoqi were published on the front page of the People's Daily, which have been used for many years since then and have become a certain practice.
References:
"Dialogue with Wang Guangmei" appeared at the Book Fair; 2015-09-14; Issue 9, 2015
The real Wang Guangmei: a loyal wife, a strong woman; 2009-05-22;Party History Wenyuan; Issue 7, 2009
Wang Guangying and Wang Guangmei recalled Liu Shaoqi's fragments; 2021-06-17 ； Centennial tide; Issue 4, 2021