Seventy-six years ago today, on December 16, 1949 (October 27, 1949), Mao Zedong led a Chinese delegation to visit the Soviet Union. On December 16, 1949, Chairperson Mao Zedong of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China led a Chinese delegation to visit the Soviet Union. This was the first visit by a Chinese head of government after the founding of New China. During the visit, Mao Zedong held talks with Stalin, Chairperson of the Soviet Council of Ministers, on important political and economic issues related to China and the Soviet Union. On January 20, 1950, Premier and Foreign Minister of the Chinese Administration Zhou Enlai arrived in Moscow for bilateral talks. On February 14, Premier and Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai and Soviet Foreign Minister Vyshinsky signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance in Moscow. The treaty came into force on April 11 of the same year and was valid for 30 years. The treaty consists of six articles, the main contents of which are as follows: the contracting parties undertake to jointly take all necessary measures to stop aggression and destruction of peace by any country; when either contracting party is attacked by Japan or its allies, the other contracting party will make every effort to provide military and other assistance; neither contracting party will conclude nor participate in any alliance, group or action against the other; the two parties will consult each other on all major international issues concerning the common interests of China and the Soviet Union; the two sides will follow the principles of equality, mutual benefit, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, develop economic and cultural relations between China and the Soviet Union, and give each other economic assistance and economic cooperation. Premier and Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai signed the treaty, with Stalin in the back row and Mao Zedong in the left row