Feb 23—29, 1980: The 5th Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee is held

Feb 23, 1979: The Sixth Meeting of the Fifth Session of NPC Standing Committee decides to make March 12 Arbor Day
Feb 23—29, 1980: The Fifth Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee is held in Beijing
The major issue was to strengthen and improve the Party's leadership. The session discussed and adopted "a number of criteria on inner-party political life"; discussed the amended draft of the "Constitution of the Communist Party of China" and adopted "the resolution on holding the 12th National Congress". The session decided to re-establish the Secretariat of the Central Committee, and elected Hu Yaobang as General Secretary of the Central Committee. The session approved the requests of Wang Dongxing, Ji Dengkui, Wu De, Chen Xilian's to resign. The session also adopted the "Resolution for the rehabilitation of Comrade Liu Shaoqi", restoring the reputation of Liu Shaoqi as a great Marxist and proletarian revolutionary, and one of the principal leaders of the party and the country.
- Hefei mobilizes public to build spiritual civilization
- Experts urge stronger civil aviation legislation, cultivation of legal talents
- Henry C. Lee praises women's rising role in forensic science
- China's national college entrance exam begins
- China issues yellow alert for rainstorms
- 78,900 students across Beijing sit the gaokao