sub-provincial city

A sub-provincial city sits half a step above a prefecture-level city. Its government answers to the province but holds greater autonomy, particularly over its own budget and planning.

Fifteen cities hold the rank, among them Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing and Chengdu. They are still within their province, unlike the four municipalities that report directly to the central government.

The rank affects administration rather than geography, so the city is placed in the hierarchy where a prefecture-level city would be.