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.
过渡时期总路线
在中国实现社会主义，是中国共产党自创立时就确定的奋斗目标。但在半殖民地半封建社会的历史条件下，实现社会主义必须分两步走：首先取得反帝反封建的新民主主义革命胜利，然后才能转入社会主义革命。这是中国革命发展的必由之路。在新中国建立之时，中共中央认为，先经过一段新民主主义建设时期，再实行资本主义工商业的国有化和个体农业的集体化。这至少要10年到15年，然后视情况而定。
1952年，土地改革基本完成，国民经济迅速恢复，朝鲜停战谈判双方在主要问题上达成协议，抗美援朝战争可望不久结束。同时，中国社会生活中也出现和积累了一些新的矛盾。在这种情况下，中国共产党认为，解决工人阶级与资产阶级的矛盾，在农村和城市开始逐步进行社会主义改造的步骤已经成为必要并有现实可能，于是提出向社会主义过渡的问题。
1953年6月，中共中央政治局正式讨论和制定了中国共产党在过渡时期总路线：从中华人民共和国成立，到社会主义改造基本完成，这是一个过渡时期。党在这个过渡时期的总路线和总任务，是要在一个相当长的时期内，逐步实现国家的社会主义工业化，并逐步实现国家对农业、对手工业和对资本主义工商业的社会主义改造。这是一条社会主义建设与改造同时并举的路线。1954年9月，第一届全国人民代表大会第一次会议通过了《中华人民共和国宪法》，以根本大法的形式，把中国共产党在过渡时期的总路线作为国家在过渡时期的总任务确定下来。
在过渡时期的总路线中，实现国家的社会主义工业化是主体，是国家独立富强的客观要求和必要条件；对农业、手工业的社会主义改造，对资本主义工商业的社会主义改造，分别为两翼。过渡时期总路线是中国共产党在新中国成立后政治、经济新变化的基础上作出的重大决策，符合当时中国的发展实际和规律，得到全国人民的广泛拥护，成为团结和动员全国人民共同为建设一个伟大的社会主义新中国而奋斗的新的纲领。
