Sub-prefectural city
A sub-prefectural municipality, sub-prefectural city, or vice-prefectural municipality, is an unofficial designation for a type of administrative division of China. A sub-prefectural city is officially considered to be a county-level city, but it has more power de facto because the cadres assigned to its government are one half-level higher in rank than those of an "ordinary" county-level city—though still lower than those of a prefecture-level city.
While county-level cities are under the administrative jurisdiction of prefecture-level divisions, sub-prefectural cities are often administered directly by the provincial government, with no intervening prefecture level administration.
Examples of sub-prefectural cities that does not belong to any prefecture: Jiyuan, Xiantao, Qianjiang and Tianmen, Shihezi, Tumxuk, Aral, and Wujiaqu.
Examples of sub-prefectural cities that nevertheless belong to a prefecture: Golmud, Manzhouli.List of sub-prefectural divisions
Guangdong
