Between the end of 1948 and the beginning of 1949, the Nationalist government suffered consecutive defeats against the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the Liaoshen campaign, the Huaihai campaign and the Pingjin campaign. On 21 January 1949, Chiang Kai-shek stepped down as the President of the Republic of China and was replaced by Li Zongren. The area north of the Yangtze River were firmly in control by the Communists by spring of 1949. In the second plenary session of the 7th Congress, the Communist forces were renamed as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) as part of the reorganization efforts in preparation for the campaigns in south China.