Province-level divisions of China

This article is about the first level divisions of the People's Republic of China. For divisions in the Republic of China, see Administrative divisions of Taiwan.

China is officially (de jure) divided into 34^[a] province-level administrative divisions, the first level of administrative division in the country. There are four types of divisions at the province level:

• Provinces (23)
• Autonomous regions (5)
• Municipalities (4)
• Special Administrative Regions (SARs; 2)

Province-level divisions 省级行政区 Shěngjí Xíngzhèngqū
Provinces   Autonomous regions   Municipalities   Special Administrative Regions
Category	Unitary state
Location	People's Republic of China
Number	33-34 (1 claimed)
Government	Unitary one-party state One country, two systems
Subdivisions	Sub-provincial city, Prefectures

Province-level administrative divisions
Simplified Chinese	省级行政区
Traditional Chinese	省級行政區
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin shěng-jí xíngzhèngqū

Province-level divisions can trace their origins back to the Yuan dynasty. The political status of Taiwan Province, as well as small portions of other provinces, are disputed.

Government

The legislative branch at the provincial level is the People's Congress, modeled on the National People's Congress. Provincial People's Congresses have had legislative powers since 1979, and pass laws on a wide variety of issues.^[1] The executive branch is the Provincial People's Government, led by a governor in the provinces, a mayor in provincial-level cities, a chairman in the autonomous regions. The head of the government is assisted by a number of subordinate officials such as Vice-Governors.^[2] The head of the People's Government is appointed by the State Council.^[b][1] That said, the People's Governments are responsible to both the State Council and the regional People's Congress, and implement the decisions of both bodies.^[3] They also pass the State Council's instructions down to the lower levels of the administration. Province-level governments have the power to set budgets and raise revenue, although they are subject to the State Council's approval. They can pursue development projects without seeking central government approval.^[1]

Provincial level party structure

As with the central government, province-level divisions are governed by parallel party and state structures. Each province-level branch of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) holds a Party Congress every five years. The congress will elect a Party Committee, which in turn elects a Standing Committee. The Standing Committee includes a party secretary, who is the leader of the CCP in that province-level division. The Standing Committee usually includes the top members of the People's Government as well.^[4]

Provincial People's Government buildings

• 
  Anhui Provincial People's Government Building
• 
  Fujian Provincial People's Government Building
• 
  Guizhou Provincial People's Government Building
• 
  Heilongjiang Provincial People's Government Building
• 
  Shaanxi Provincial People's Government Building
• 
  Shanxi Provincial People's Government Building
• 
  Yunnan Provincial People's Government Building

History

Main article: History of the administrative divisions of China (1949–present)

Further information: History of the administrative divisions of China

The first province-level divisions were created in the Yuan dynasty, and have remained one of the most stable forms of Chinese government since then.^[5] They were created to help the Imperial court manage local county governments, which were too numerous and far-flung to be managed directly.^[6] The number of provinces grew steadily during subsequent dynasties, reaching 28 by the time of the Republic of China.^[7] Under the Nationalist Government, large cities began to be classified separately from other administrative units. Starting in 1930, some of these "special cities" became "direct jurisdiction cities" under the central government, the predecessor of province-level cities.^[8] During the Warlord Era, provinces became largely or completely autonomous and exercised significant national influence. Province-level units proliferated and under the early People's Republic there were over 50.^[9]

In the mid-1950s, the People's Republic (PRC) made several major reforms to province-level administration. Despite closely modelling other aspects of the PRC on the Soviet Union, the CCP's experience with territorial disintegration during the Warlord Era led them to reject the Soviet federal structure.^[10] Instead, the total number of provinces was significantly reduced and the unitary state structure was retained. Most direct jurisdiction cities were abolished, although a few became province-level cities. Limited autonomy was granted to ethnic minorities in five new "Autonomous Regions" (see below).^[10] People's Congresses were set up to run province-level governments. During the Cultural Revolution, these Congresses each elected a revolutionary committee to exercise both executive and legislative power when they were not in session.^[11] Province-level divisions had limited independent authority before the period of Reform and Opening-up, due to the centrally planned nature of the economy. Their main role was to implement the decisions made by the central government regarding production goals, raising and spending of revenue, and resource allocation.^[12] However, in contrast with the Soviet system, there was some degree of regional autonomy. Many provincial governments ran smaller manufacturing firms independently of the central government.^[1] Since 1979, the central government has granted increased decision-making authority to provincial level governments. In turn, they have devolved the power to make local regulations to cities and other local governments.^[11][13]

List of province-level divisions

GB/T 2260-2007[14]	ISO[15]	Province	Chinese Hanyu Pinyin	Capital	Population[c]	Density[d]	Area[e]	Abbreviation[f]
AH	CN-AH	Anhui Province	安徽省 Ānhuī Shěng	Hefei	61,027,171	436.29	139,879	皖 Wǎn
BJ	CN-BJ	Beijing Municipality	北京市 Běijīng Shì	Tongzhou	21,893,095	1,334.05	16,411	京 Jīng
CQ	CN-CQ	Chongqing Municipality	重庆市 Chóngqìng Shì	Yuzhong	32,054,159	388.99	82,403	渝 Yú
FJ	CN-FJ	Fujian Province[g]	福建省 Fújiàn Shěng	Fuzhou	41,540,086	335.66	123,756	闽 Mǐn
GD	CN-GD	Guangdong Province[h]	广东省 Guǎngdōng Shěng	Guangzhou	126,012,510	700.02	180,013	粤 Yuè
GS	CN-GS	Gansu Province	甘肃省 Gānsù Shěng	Lanzhou	25,019,831	54.70	457,382	甘(陇) Gān (Lǒng)
GX	CN-GX	Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region	广西壮族自治区 Guǎngxī Zhuàngzú Zìzhìqū	Nanning	50,126,804	210.78	237,818	桂 Guì
GZ	CN-GZ	Guizhou Province	贵州省 Guìzhōu Shěng	Guiyang	38,562,148	218.93	176,140	贵(黔) Guì (Qián)
HA (HEN)	CN-HA	Henan Province	河南省 Hénán Shěng	Zhengzhou	99,365,519	600.52	165,467	豫 Yù
HB (HUB)	CN-HB	Hubei Province	湖北省 Húběi Shěng	Wuhan	57,752,557	310.87	185,776	鄂 È
HE (HEB)	CN-HE	Hebei Province	河北省 Héběi Shěng	Shijiazhuang	74,610,235	393.08	189,809	冀 Jì
HI	CN-HI	Hainan Province[i]	海南省 Hǎinán Shěng	Haikou	10,081,232	294.27	34,259	琼 Qióng
HK	CN-HK[j]	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region	香港特别行政区 Xiānggǎng Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū	Tamar	7,061,200	6,396.01	1,108	港 Gǎng
HL	CN-HL	Heilongjiang Province	黑龙江省 Hēilóngjiāng Shěng	Harbin	31,850,088	67.37	472,766	黑 Hēi
HN (HUN)	CN-HN	Hunan Province	湖南省 Húnán Shěng	Changsha	66,444,864	313.65	211,842	湘 Xiāng
JL	CN-JL	Jilin Province	吉林省 Jílín Shěng	Changchun	24,073,453	126.51	190,282	吉 Jí
JS	CN-JS	Jiangsu Province	江苏省 Jiāngsū Shěng	Nanjing	84,748,016	847.91	99,949	苏 Sū
JX	CN-JX	Jiangxi Province	江西省 Jiāngxī Shěng	Nanchang	45,188,635	270.69	166,939	赣 Gàn
LN	CN-LN	Liaoning Province	辽宁省 Liáoníng Shěng	Shenyang	42,591,407	289.59	147,076	辽 Liáo
MO	CN-MO[k]	Macau Special Administrative Region	澳门特别行政区 Àomén Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū		552,300	19,044.82	29	澳 Ào
NM	CN-NM	Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region	内蒙古自治区 Nèi Měnggǔ Zìzhìqū	Hohhot	24,049,155	20.05	1,199,372	蒙(绥) Měng (Suí)
NX	CN-NX	Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region	宁夏回族自治区 Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū	Yinchuan	7,202,654	108.47	66,400	宁 Níng
QH	CN-QH	Qinghai Province	青海省 Qīnghǎi Shěng	Xining	5,923,957	8.58	690,355	青 Qīng
SC	CN-SC	Sichuan Province	四川省 Sìchuān Shěng	Chengdu	83,674,866	174.93	484,056	川(蜀) Chuān (Shǔ)
SD	CN-SD	Shandong Province	山东省 Shāndōng Shěng	Jinan	101,527,453	643.78	157,704	鲁 Lǔ
SH	CN-SH	Shanghai Municipality	上海市 Shànghǎi Shì	Huangpu	24,870,895	3,922.24	6,341	沪(申) Hù (Shēn)
SN (SAA)	CN-SN	Shaanxi Province	陕西省 Shǎnxī Shěng	Xi'an	39,528,999	192.24	205,624	陕(秦) Shǎn (Qín)
SX (SAX)	CN-SX	Shanxi Province	山西省 Shānxī Shěng	Taiyuan	34,915,616	222.80	156,713	晋 Jìn
TJ	CN-TJ	Tianjin Municipality	天津市 Tiānjīn Shì	Hexi	13,866,009	1,194.32	11,610	津 Jīn
TW	CN-TW[l]	Taiwan Province[m]	台湾省 Táiwān Shěng	Taipei	23,162,123	650.97	36,161	台(臺) Tái
XJ	CN-XJ	Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region	新疆维吾尔自治区 Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū	Ürümqi	25,852,345	15.72	1,644,707	新 Xīn
XZ	CN-XZ	Tibet Autonomous Region	西藏自治区 Xīzàng Zìzhìqū	Lhasa	3,648,100	3.03	1,204,776	藏 Zàng
YN	CN-YN	Yunnan Province	云南省 Yúnnán Shěng	Kunming	47,209,277	123.20	383,195	云(滇) Yún (Diān)
ZJ	CN-ZJ	Zhejiang Province	浙江省 Zhèjiāng Shěng	Hangzhou	64,567,588	615.67	104,873	浙 Zhè

See also

• China portal

• List of Chinese administrative divisions by population
• List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP
• List of current Chinese provincial leaders
• Tiao-kuai – Quasi-federal administration in China.

Notes

1. Including the disputed Taiwan Province.
2. Subordinate provincial officials are appointed by province-level committees.
3. as of 2020
4. per km²
5. km²
6. Abbreviation in the parentheses is informal
7. Most of the Fujian Province is administered by the People's Republic of China (PRC) while the Republic of China on Taiwan includes Kinmen County (Quemoy) and Lienchiang County (Matsu) formerly under its own streamlined Fujian Province.
8. Most of the Guangdong Province is administered by the People's Republic of China (PRC) while the Republic of China on Taiwan includes Pratas Island (also named Tungsha Island or Dongsha Island) as part of the Dongsha Atoll National Park.
9. Most of the Hainan Province is administered by the People's Republic of China (PRC) while the Republic of China on Taiwan includes Taiping Island (Itu Aba) as part of Cijin District, Kaohsiung.
10. Has separate ISO 3166-2 code: HK
11. Has separate ISO 3166-2 code: MO
12. Has separate ISO 3166-2 code: TW
13. The People's Republic of China considers Taiwan to be its 23rd province, but Taiwan is currently administrated by the Republic of China. Since 1945, the ROC only controls the island of Taiwan and Penghu. For Kinmen and Matsu, see note on Fujian Province. See also Political status of Taiwan

References

1. Chung & Lam 2010, Chapter 2.
2. Goodman 2015, pp. 95–96.
3. Saich 2015, pp. 157–158.
4. Goodman 2015, p. 96.
5. Guo 2017, p. 23.
6. Fitzgerald 2002, p. 16.
7. Goodman 2015, pp. 150, 154.
8. Fitzgerald 2002, p. 27.
9. Goodman 2015, pp. 153–154.
10. Chung & Lam 2010, Chapter 1.
11. Saich 2015, p. 158.
12. Zhang, LeGates & Zhao 2016, p. 89.
13. Zhang, LeGates & Zhao 2016, pp. 90–92.
14. "GB/T 2260 codes for the provinces of China". Archived from the original on 2004-03-05. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
15. ISO 3166-2:CN (ISO 3166-2 codes for the provinces of China)

Bibliography

• Guo, Rongxing (2017). How the Chinese Economy Works (4th Revised ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
• 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 (Fourth ed.). 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.

External links

• Interactive Dbresearch.com: WebMap Archived 2016-04-06 at the Wayback Machine — with economic indicators for all Chinese Provinces.