# Administrative divisions By [sher1681314](https://paragraph.com/@sher1681314) · 2021-10-29 --- The People's Republic of China is officially divided into 23 [provinces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_China),[\[213\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-:9-231) five [autonomous regions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_regions_of_China) (each with a designated minority group), and four [municipalities](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct-controlled_municipality_of_China)—collectively referred to as "[mainland China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainland_China)"—as well as the [special administrative regions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_administrative_regions_of_China) (SARs) of [Hong Kong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong) and [Macau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau). Geographically, all 31 provincial divisions of mainland China can be grouped into six regions: [North China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_China), [Northeast China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_China), [East China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_China), [South Central China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Central_China), [Southwest China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_China), and [Northwest China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_China).[\[214\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-Brown2013-232) China considers [Taiwan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan) to be [its 23rd province](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Province,_People%27s_Republic_of_China),[\[213\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-:9-231) although Taiwan is governed by the [Republic of China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_China) (ROC), which rejects the PRC's claim. Conversely, the ROC constitution claims sovereignty over all divisions governed by the PRC.[\[215\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-233) Provinces (省)_Claimed Province_ * [Anhui](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhui) (安徽省) * [Fujian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian) (福建省) * [Gansu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gansu) (甘肃省) * [Guangdong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangdong) (广东省) * [Guizhou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guizhou) (贵州省) * [Hainan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainan) (海南省) * [Hebei](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebei) (河北省) * [Heilongjiang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heilongjiang) (黑龙江省) * [Henan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henan) (河南省) * [Hubei](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubei) (湖北省) * [Hunan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunan) (湖南省) * [Jiangsu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiangsu) (江苏省) * [Jiangxi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiangxi) (江西省) * [Jilin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jilin) (吉林省) * [Liaoning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liaoning) (辽宁省) * [Qinghai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinghai) (青海省) * [Shaanxi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaanxi) (陕西省) * [Shandong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shandong) (山东省) * [Shanxi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanxi) (山西省) * [Sichuan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan) (四川省) * [Yunnan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnan) (云南省) * [Zhejiang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhejiang) (浙江省) * [_Taiwan_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Province,_People%27s_Republic_of_China) (台湾省) _governed by_ [_R.O.China_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan) Autonomous regions (自治区)Municipalities (直辖市)Special administrative regions (特别行政区) * [Guangxi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangxi) (广西壮族自治区) * [Inner Mongolia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Mongolia) / _Nei Menggu_ (内蒙古自治区) * [Ningxia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ningxia) (宁夏回族自治区) * [Xinjiang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinjiang) (新疆维吾尔自治区) * [Tibet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet_Autonomous_Region) / _Xizang_ (西藏自治区) * [Beijing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing) (北京市) * [Chongqing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chongqing) (重庆市) * [Shanghai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai) (上海市) * [Tianjin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianjin) (天津市) * [Hong Kong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong) / _Xianggang_ (香港特别行政区) * [Macau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macau) / _Aomen_ (澳门特别行政区) ### Foreign relations _Main article:_ [_Foreign relations of China_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_China) Diplomatic relations of China The PRC has [diplomatic relations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_China) with 175 countries and maintains [embassies in 162](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China). In 2019, China had the largest diplomatic network in the world.[\[216\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-234)[\[217\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-:2-235) Its [legitimacy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legitimacy_\(political\)) is disputed by the Republic of China and a few other countries; it is thus the largest and most populous [state with limited recognition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_with_limited_recognition), with a population of more than 1.4 billion.[\[218\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-236) In 1971, the PRC replaced the Republic of China as the sole representative of China in the United Nations and as one of the five permanent members of the [United Nations Security Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council).[\[219\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-Ref_r-237) China was also a former member and leader of the [Non-Aligned Movement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movement), and still considers itself an advocate for [developing countries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_countries).[\[220\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-Ref_2009-238) Along with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, China is a member of the [BRICS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRICS) group of emerging major economies and hosted the group's [third official summit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_BRICS_summit) at [Sanya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanya), [Hainan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainan) in April 2011.[\[221\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-239) Under its interpretation of the [One-China policy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-China_policy), Beijing has made it a precondition to establishing diplomatic relations that the other country acknowledges its claim to Taiwan and severs official ties with the government of the Republic of China.\[[_citation needed_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)\] Chinese officials have protested on numerous occasions when foreign countries have made diplomatic overtures to Taiwan,[\[222\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-240) especially in the matter of armament sales.[\[223\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-241) Much of current Chinese foreign policy is reportedly based on Premier [Zhou Enlai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Enlai)'s [Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Principles_of_Peaceful_Coexistence), and is also driven by the concept of "harmony without uniformity", which encourages diplomatic relations between states despite ideological differences.[\[224\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-Keith-242) This policy may have led China to support states that are [regarded as dangerous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_state) or repressive by Western nations, such as [Zimbabwe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Zimbabwe_relations), [North Korea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93North_Korea_relations) and [Iran](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Iran_relations).[\[225\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-243) China has a [close economic and military relationship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Russian_relations_since_1991) with Russia,[\[226\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-244) and the two states often vote in unison in the UN Security Council.\[\\ [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite\_note-245](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-245) --- *Originally published on [sher1681314](https://paragraph.com/@sher1681314/administrative-divisions)*