Administrative divisions of China
Administrative divisions of China are geographic areas assigned to a local authority for the purposes of administration. China possesses a two-level system of local government based on the province and county, where residents have a direct role in determining their leadership. Other levels of authorities exist but are subject to the authority of either a province or county.
As China is considered a unitary state, provinces also agencies of the central government (and likewise counties are agencies of the central and provincial governments) to a certain extent prescribed by the constitution and central statute. Nevertheless, there are portfolio items that are within the exclusive purview of provinces or counties with which higher levels of government cannot theoretically interfere.
Table
| Interior | Mongolia | Tibet | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Province (省) |
Special Municipality (特別市) |
Territory | Territory | |
| Prefecture (道) |
City (市) |
Alliance | Spyi khyab | |
| County (縣) |
Banner | Rdzong | ||
| District (區) | ||||
| Township (鄉鎮) |
District (區) | |||
| Village (村) |
Commune (里) | |||
Province
China has historically been and continues to be reliant upon an administrative hierarchy to carry out policies given at a higher level and to monitor this activity. A perennial fear was that a province's self-sufficiency placed it at risk of secession or warlordism. Provinces typically contained tens of millions, if not over 100 million, of residents, comparable in population to European states. Measures to suppress self-sufficiency as separate states include deliberately indefensible borders, separate civil, judicial, and defence offices, and collegiate leadership. Such countermeasures, in turn, were associated even before the modern era with inefficient administration, while the risk of secession they were meant to quell never fully abated.
Currently, Chinese law positions a province as a corporate body with autonomy over a list of constitutional powers (the "provincial list") and also as an executive agency of, and funded by, the central government (under the "shared list"). Comparatively, a province's autonomy is limited vis-à-vis its functions as an agency, and thus its budget is also largely funded by the central government. Nevertheless, a province still possesses considerable independent financial strength that is still a source of unease. To address these issues, the National Assembly included the establishment and authority of prefectures as part of the model basic law for provinces. As prefects were centrally-appointed, it was thought they would be able to delay or at least caution against inappropriate provincial policies. Additionally, prefects were to assist in localizing provincial policies and focusing provincial resources.
As opposed to the county whose executive authority is vested in a presidential mayor, a province's executive power is collegiate and responsible to the legislative power. Whenever a province exercised its autonomous executive powers the provincial government must pass the matter by consensus, meant to curb controversial policies. With exception of major cities, provincial policies are also locally executed by a prefect represented in the provincial government as a voting member when a devolved power was exercised. These checks render a provincial government less able to enact sweeping change or seek independence, but it has likewise been criticized for complication and inefficiency.
Prefecture
There are currently 61 prefectures (道) in China, and the average province has around 3 prefectures. Provinces on the peripheries of China-proper have more prefectures largely due to sparsely-populated areas assigned to their governance; Ho-peh, San-si, Shan-si, Szechuan, and Sinkiang provinces each have 5 prefectures, while the Korean-occupied Fong-tien, He-lung-kiang, and Chilin provinces each theoretically have only 2 prefectures.
Each prefecture has a prefect assigned appointed by the central government subject to the provincial government's prior consent. There are also one or two deputy prefects appointed by the provincial government.
In the 1920s, a widespread demand (廢省存道) existed to abolish the province (行省) as the first tier of autonomous administration, retaining the prefecture (道) under it in the province's role. Yet China's indigence encumbered infrastructure and industry investments, and the most proximate solution was to back such investments with a province's superior financial strength. The Dai-ming Incident of 1922 is an oft-cited example of the danger of smaller local governments selling public land without restraint: the Dai-ming Prefecture sold 22% of the prefecture's land and mortgaged future income streams in an effort to fund railway investments, resulting in a costly redemptive payment for the same by the central Ministry of Finance. The scheme was later discovered to have financially benefited its proponent, the Dai-ming Prefect.
Divisions
Prefectures sometimes have subdivisions known as divisions when the prefecture has particularly inaccessible areas or areas "needing special attention", i.e. where an active rebellion is occuring. Divisions are also established if an ethnic minority populates the area, and divisional heads are often members of such minorities.
Cities
A city is a large, urban area under provincial jurisdiction with at least 200,000 residents. The location of the prefectural government is by default considered a city, while other cities can be established by provincial charter. There are currently 87 cities in China, not counting the special municipalities established under central authority.
List of provinces and prefectures
| Province | Provincial capital | Prefectures and cities | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang-su Province | Chin-chiang City | Hwai-hai Prefecture (淮海道) | |
| Suchow Prefecture (蘇州道) | |||
| Yangchow Prefecture (揚州道) | |||
| Chin-chiang City (鎮江市) | |||
| Chen-chiang Province | Hangchow City | Hangchow Prefecture (杭州道) | |
| Kwai-ki Prefecture (會稽道) | |||
| Kimhwa Prefecture (金華道) | |||
| Ho-peh Province | Paoting-fu | Tsing-ho Prefecture (清河道) | |
| Dai-ming Prefecture (大名道) | |||
| Jehol Prefecture (熱河道) | |||
| Sun-tien Prefecture (順天道) | |||
| Sing-ho Prefecture (興和道) | |||
| Ho-nan Province | Kai-fung | Kai-fung Prefecture (開封道) | |
| Niu-yang Prefecture (汝陽道) | |||
| Ho-lo Prefecture (河洛道) | |||
| Kai-fung City (開封市) | |||
| Chengchow City (鄭州市) | |||
| Shantung Province | Chi-nan City | Chi-nan Prefecture (濟南道) | |
| Lim-tsi Prefecture (臨淄道) | |||
| Ku-fuk Prefecture (曲阜道) | |||
| Chi-nan City (濟南市) | |||
| Shansi Province | Taiyuan City | Ki-ning Prefecture (冀寧道) | |
| Yan-men Prefecture (雁門道) | |||
| Ho-tung Prefecture (河東道) | |||
| Swei-yuen Prefecture (綏遠道) | |||
| Chahar Prefecture (察哈爾道) | |||
| Taiyuan City (太原市) | |||
| Sansi Province | Si-an City | Shan-yang Prefecture (山陽道) | |
| Lim-tiao Prefecture (臨洮道) | |||
| Ning-hsia Prefecture (寧夏道) | |||
| Lung-hsi Prefecture (隴西道) | |||
| Si-an City (西安市) | |||
| Taiwan Province | Taipei City | Taipei Prefecture (臺北道) | |
| Tainan Prefecture (臺南道) | |||
| Taipei City (臺北市) | |||
| Kaohsiung City (高雄市) | |||
| Anhui Province | Wu-hu City | Anking Prefecture (安慶道) | |
| Wuhu Prefecture (蕪湖道) | |||
| Hwai-shi Prefecture (淮泗道) | |||
| Ho-fei City (合肥市) | |||
| Wu-hu City (蕪湖市) | |||
| Kiangsi Province | Namchang City | Yu-chang Prefecture (豫章道) | |
| Kam-nam Prefecture (贛南道) | |||
| Sun-yang P (潯陽道) | |||
| Nam-chang City (南昌市) | |||
| Fukien Province | Fuchow City | Min-hai Prefecture (閩海道) | |
| Ha-mum Prefecture (廈門道) | |||
| Ting-tiang Prefecture (汀漳道) | |||
| Kien-an Prefecture (建安道) | |||
| Fuchow City (福州市) | |||
| Ha-mun City (廈門市) | |||
| Canton Province | Canton City | Yut-hoi Prefecture (粵海道) | |
| Tsiu-tsun Prefecture (潮循道) | |||
| Yum-lim Prefecture (欽廉道) | |||
| Kung-tsow Prefecture (瓊州道) | |||
| Canton City (福州市) | |||
| Kwang-si Province | Kwei-lum City | Yut-hoi Prefecture (粵海道) | |
| Tiu-tsun Prefecture (潮循道) | |||
| Yum-lim Prefecture (欽廉道) | |||
| Kong Prefecture (瓊州道) | |||
| Canton City (福州市) | |||
| Kweichow Province | Kwei-yang City | Kin-chung Prefecture (粵海道) | |
| Kwei-si Prefecture (潮循道) | |||
| Nam-ning Prefecture (欽廉道) | |||
| Kwei-yang City (瓊州道) | |||
| Yunnan Province | Kwei-yang City | Tien-nan Prefecture (闐南道) | |
| Tien-chung Prefecture (闐中道) | |||
| Pu-ni Prefecture (普洱道) | |||
| Kwei-yang City (貴陽市) | |||
| Szechuan Province | Chung-king City | Tung-chuan Prefecture (東川道) | |
| Kia-ling Prefecture (嘉陵道) | |||
| Si-chuan Prefecture (西川道) | |||
| Tsing-hai Prefecture (青海道) | |||
| Chung-king City (重慶市) | |||
| Sinkiang Province | Ti-hwa City | Ti-hwa Prefecture (迪化道) | |
| Yi-li Prefecture (依黎道) | |||
| Ho-tien Prefecture (和闐道) | |||
| Yen-chi Prefecture (延耆道) | |||
| Ti-hwa City (迪化市) | |||
| Fong-tien Province | Shen-yang City | Liaw-ning Prefecture (遼寧道) | |
| Tiaw-chang Prefecture (洮昌道) | |||
| Shen-yang City (瀋陽市) | |||
| Kilin Province | Kilin City | Sung-kiang Prefecture (松江道) | |
| Yen-chi Prefecture (延吉道) | |||
| Kilin City (吉林道) | |||
| He-lung-kiang Province | Chichihar City | Lung-kiang Prefecture (龍江道) | |
| He-ho Prefecture (黑河道) | |||
| Chichihar City (齊齊哈爾市) |