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Modern prefectures emerged out of successive attempts by Yuan Shikai and later the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China to abolish the second level of administrative divisions. When these attempts eventually failed, modern prefectures were created in 1936.[1] Chinese provinces are relatively large by international standards, and provincial administrations have difficulty administering counties without an intermediary level of government.[2][3] However, prefecture-level divisions are still not a formally recognized level of government in the same way as provinces and counties.[4]
Types
Prefecture-level cities
By far the most common type of prefecture-level division, prefecture-level cities are cities with the right to administer surrounding counties. This arrangement is known as "cities governing counties." Although there have been at least a few prefecture-level cities since the beginning of the PRC, they were relatively uncommon until the 1980s. Since then, hundreds of prefectures have been converted into prefecture-level cities.[5] They are each headed by a People's Government, whose officials are appointed by the province but subject to approval by the local People's Congress.[6] As with other levels of Chinese government, the People's Congress can adopt local regulations and elects a standing committee to exercise its powers when not in session.[7]
Prefectures
Until the 1980s, the most common prefecture-level division was the prefecture, which operated as the field agencies of the provincial government. Unlike other prefecture-level governments, they do not have their own People's Governments or People's Congresses. They are instead the field agencies of the province whose role is to supervise the local county governments.[4] However, the number of prefectures has declined rapidly since the 1980s. There are now only six prefectures left, mainly in rural areas of outlying provinces.[8][6]
Autonomous prefectures
Unlike other prefecture-level divisions, autonomous prefectures are a formal part of the Chinese administrative structure. They were established in 1953 as part of a series of administrative reforms giving greater autonomy to ethnic minorities.[2] Like leagues and prefecture-level cities, autonomous prefectures have a locally elected People's Government and People's Congress.[6]
Leagues
Leagues are similar to autonomous prefectures but are unique to Inner Mongolia. Their numbers have been declining in recent years as most are converted to prefecture-level cities. Only three leagues remain.[8][6]
List of prefecture-level divisions
Notes:
Municipalities (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, & Tianjin) are not included, but their internal divisions are similar to prefectures.
1 2 3 As Taiwan is currently administered by the Republic of China, its administrative divisions differ from those in provinces administered by the People's Republic of China. The claimed official borders and divisions of the Taiwan Province of People's Republic of China mirror those of the ROC Taiwan Province before 1949. The PRC has not acknowledged any changes made post-1949 by the ROC. PRC once treated Taipei (still regarded as capital city, instead of Zhongxing New Village) and Kaohsiung as prefecture-level cities (they are actually Special municipality of Republic of China at that time), all other cities and counties as county-level cities and counties, and display them on maps as such. This is analogous to the previous practice of the ROC in producing maps depicting mainland administrative boundaries the way they were in 1949. However, this practice has also declined.
1 2 3 Ili (itself a prefecture with sub-provincial status) contains 2 other prefectures: Tacheng and Altay. Ili also directly controls 2 county-level cities, 7 counties, and 1 autonomous county, like a normal prefecture does. Tacheng and Altay is counted in Xinjiang's total number of prefectures here.
Guo, Rongxing (2017). How the Chinese Economy Works (4th Reviseded.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Sun, Caihong (2020). "The Relationship between Central and Local Authorities in China". In Fang, Ning (ed.). China's Political System. Translated by Fu, Yili. Singapore: Springer Nature & Chinese Social Sciences Press. pp.91–124.
Goodman, David S.G. (2015). Handbook of the Politics of China. Northampton, Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Zhang, Li; LeGates, Richard; Zhao, Min (2016). Understanding China's Urbanization: The Great Demographic, Spatial, Economic, and Social Transformation. Northampton, Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Saich, Tony (2015). Governance and Politics of China (Fourthed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Chung, Jae Ho; Lam, Chiu (2010). China's Local Administration: Traditions and Changes in the Sub-National Hierarchy. New York: Routledge.
Fitzgerald, John (2002). Rethinking China's Provinces. New York: Routledge.
The special administrative regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China are one of four types of province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China directly under the control of its Central People's Government, being integral areas of the country. As a region, they possess the highest degree of autonomy from China's central government. However, despite the relative autonomy that the Central People's Government offers the special administrative regions, the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee remains capable of enforcing laws for the special administrative regions.
Taiwan Province is a de jure administrative division of the Republic of China (ROC). Provinces remain a titular division as a part of the Constitution of the Republic of China, but are no longer considered to have any administrative function practically.
The administrative divisions of China have consisted of several levels since ancient times, due to China's large population and geographical area. The constitution of China provides for three levels of government. However in practice, there are five levels of local government; the provincial, prefecture, county, township, and village.
Taiwan is divided into multi-layered statutory subdivisions. Due to the complex political status of Taiwan, there is a significant difference in the de jure system set out in the original constitution and the de facto system in use today.
Provinces are the most numerous type of province-level divisions in the People's Republic of China (PRC). There are currently 22 provinces administered by the PRC and one province that is claimed, but not administered, which is Taiwan, currently administered by the Republic of China (ROC).
A prefecture-level city or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure.
A sub-provincial division in China is a prefecture-level city governed by a province promoted by half-a-level. Thus, it is half-a-level under the provincial level, and half-a-level above the prefecture-level, hence the name "sub-provincial".
An autonomous municipality, county-level city or city, previously provincial city, is a de jure second-level administrative division unit in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in northern Xinjiang, China. Its capital is Yining, also known as Ghulja or Kulja.
Prefectures are one of four types of prefecture-level divisions in China, the second-level administrative division in the country. While at one time prefectures were the most common prefecture-level division, they are in the process of being abolished and only seven formally-designated prefectures remain.
A league is an administrative unit of the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in the People's Republic of China.
Chinese autonomous administrative divisions are associated with one or more ethnic minorities that are designated as autonomous within the People's Republic of China. These areas are recognized in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and are nominally given a number of rights not accorded to other administrative divisions of China. For example, Tibetan minorities in autonomous regions are granted rights and support not given to the Han Chinese, such as fiscal and medical subsidies.
Taiwan Province, PRC refers to a notional administrative division claimed by the People's Republic of China. The PRC constitution asserts Taiwan as part of its territories although the PRC has never controlled Taiwan since the PRC's establishment in 1949. The territory of the claimed province, including the entire island of Taiwan, is in actuality administered by the Republic of China (ROC) but is not coextensive with the smaller Taiwan Province of the ROC.
A county, constitutionally known as a hsien, is a de jure second-level administrative division unit in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the administrative structure of Taiwan, it is with the same level of a provincial city.
The administrative divisions of China between 1912 and 1949 were established under the regime of the Republic of China government.
China is officially divided into 34 province-level administrative divisions, the first level of administrative division in the country. There are four types of divisions at the province level:
The People's Republic of China (PRC) is divided into 2,854 county-level divisions which rank below prefectures/provinces and above townships as the third-level administrative division in the country. Of these, 2,842 are located in territory controlled by the PRC, while 172 are located in land controlled by the Republic of China (ROC).
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