Provincial-level administrative divisions, or first-level administrative divisions, are the highest-level administrative divisions of China. There are 34 such divisions claimed by the China, classified as 23 provinces, four municipalities, five autonomous regions, and two Special Administrative Regions:
- Province: The government of each standard province is nominally led by a provincial committee, headed by a secretary.
- Municipality: A municipality is a higher level of city which is directly under the Chinese government, with status equal to that of the provinces. In practice, their political status is higher than that of common provinces.
- Autonomous Region: An autonomous region is a minority subject which has a higher population of a particular minority ethnic group along with its own local government, but an autonomous region theoretically has more legislative rights than in actual practice. The governor of each autonomous region is usually appointed from the respective minority ethnic group.
- Special Administrative Region (SAR): Special Administrative Region (SAR)'s are a highly autonomous and self-governing sub national subject of China that is directly under the Central People's Government. Each SAR has a chief executive as head of the region and head of government. The region's government is not fully independent, as foreign policy and military defence are the responsibility of the central government, according to the basic laws.
Note: The Political status of Taiwan Province and a small fraction of Fujian Province (currently administered by the Republic of China) are in dispute.
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