Sub-provincial city
A sub-provincial city (副省级城市), or vice-provincial city, in the People's Republic of China, is a prefecture-level city that is ruled by a province, but is administered independently in regard to economy and law. The mayor of a sub-provincial city is equal in status to a vice-governor of a province. Its status is below that of a municipality, which do not belong to any province, but above other, regular prefecture-level cities, which are completely ruled by their provinces. The original 16 sub-provincial cities were created in on February 25, 1994 by the Central Organization Committee out of prefecture-level cities. They are sometimes the capitals of the provinces they are in. Presently, there are 15 sub-provincial cities: Changchun (in Jilin province) Chengdu (Sichuan) Dalian (Liaoning) Hangzhou (Zhejiang) Harbin (Heilongjiang) Jinan (Shandong) Nanjing (Jiangsu) Ningbo (Zhejiang) Qingdao (Shangdong) Shenyang (Liaoning) Shenzhen (Guangdong) Wuhan (Hubei) Xiamen (Fujian) Xi'an (Shaanxi) Chongqing was formerly a sub-provincial city of Sichuan until 1997, when it was made a municipality by splitting it out of Sichuan altogether. Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps also has the powers of a sub-provincial city. Harbin and Chengdu are the largest sub-provincial cities; each has a population exceeding that of the municipality of Tianjin. The National Standing Committee of Sub-provincial Municipal People's Congresses' Chairmen Joint Conference (全国副省级城市人大常委会主任联席会议) are attended by the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of all sub-provincial cities. It was proposed by Guangzhou Municipal People's Congress in 1985. The conferences: 1. February 26 to March 4, 1985, Guangzhou ... 17. October 30 - November 2, 2001, Guangzhou ... 19. October 8 - ?, 2003, Wuhan
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