1949 in China

Events in the year 1949 in China.

← 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1949 in China → 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	Other events of 1949 History of China  • Timeline  • Years

Incumbents

Republic of China:

• President: Chiang Kai-shek (-January 21), Li Zongren (January 21-)
• Premiers: Sun Fo, He Yingqin, Yan Xishan

People's Republic of China:

• Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party: Mao Zedong
• Chairman of the Government: Mao Zedong
• Premier: Zhou Enlai

Events

January

• 21 January — Chiang Kai-shek resigns from the presidency in a "temporary absence". Vice President Li Zongren was named as the successor

April

• 23 April — Communists capture the KMT's capital, Nanjing

June

• the Communist Party organised a "Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" (CPPCC) to prepare for the establishment of a "New Democracy" regime to replace the Kuomintang-dominated Republic of China government

July

• Tropical storm Irma kills 1,600 people and destroys more than 63,000 houses in Shanghai, the worst typhoon on record in the city.

September

• 21 September — The first meeting of the CPPCC, which was attended by the Communist Party along with eight aligned parties
• 27 September — Establishment of the Flag of the People's Republic of China (simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国国旗; traditional Chinese: 中華人民共和國國旗; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó guóqí), a red field charged in the canton (upper corner nearest the flagpole) with five golden stars.

October

• 1 October – The People's Republic of China is officially proclaimed in Beijing
• 17 October – Chinese communist troops take Guangzhou.
• 25–27 October — Battle of Guningtou in Kinmen, Fujian
• 27 October — Chinese communist troops fail to take Kinmen in the Battle of Kuningtou; their advance towards Taiwan is halted.

December

• 8 December — The government of the Republic of China finishes its evacuation to Taiwan, and declares Taipei its temporary capital city.
• 17 December — Burma recognizes the People's Republic of China.
• 30 December — India recognizes the People's Republic of China.

Births

• 23 June – Charles Ho, Hong Kong pro-Beijing businessman

Deaths

• 11 February – Tai Chi-t'ao, journalist (b. 1891)
• September 6 – Yang Hucheng, a Chinese warlord during the Warlord Era of Republican China and Kuomintang general during the Chinese Civil War (b. 1893)

See also

• 1949 in Chinese film