ABSTRACT
The convening of the Fourth National People's Congress (NPC) in January 1975 was an important step towards normalcy in China and went a long way in strengthening Party control over the State apparatus and the Army. The most significant changes introduced in the new Constitution, adopted by the NPC in January 1975, were the abolition of the post of Chairman of the State and the establishment of the absolute, open leadership of the Party over the Central Government organs. The Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Marshal Chu Teh, is a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Politburo. The abolition of the post of Chairman of State and related changes, Chang Chun-chiao, the new Vice-Premier, asserted, "will certainly help strengthen the Party's centralized leadership over the structure of the State and meet the desire of the people of the whole country”.
