When the long-time Soviet leader Iosif Stalin died in March 1953, China was in the midst of a social transformation that was generating widespread anxiety and social tensions. Such sentiments were reflected in 30 reports compiled by Xinhua reporters of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concerning ordinary Chinese citizens' reactions to the death of Stalin. Some Chinese citizens had supported Stalin and, by extension, the CCP and were anxious about the CCP's ability to survive and rule in an uncertain post-Stalin world. Others were happy to see Stalin's departure and waited hopefully for the collapse of the CCP. This article assesses the wide range of opinions as reflected in the CCP's internal reports.

This article offers a fresh perspective on the establishment of a one-party constitutional structure in China from 1948 to 1954, using documents and first-hand accounts published in China over the past two decades. These documents suggest that the Stalinization of China cannot be understood outside the larger context of the political Stalinization of the rest of the Communist world. Stalin played a critical role in determining the pace of political reform in China, and he actively encouraged Mao to allow non-Communists to take part in the Chinese electoral process and in the writing of the Chinese constitution. Although Mao would have preferred to establish a Soviet-style one-party system right away, he readily yielded to Stalin's advice. Mao chose to obey Stalin's dictates for political reform so that he could gain greater independence in domestic economic policies.