Draft:Provincial autonomy (Republic of China)

Provincial autonomy, sometimes also as the Provincal Autonomy Movement, was a political system reform proposal put forward by politicians and local power military personnel during the period when the Beiyang government ruled in the early years of the Republic of China. This series of activities took place between 1920 and 1924, with a total of ten provinces participating at that time, further developing into the Provincial Constitution Movement (1920-1926). The provinces involved included: Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, which were directly involved in the struggle between the North and the South; Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, and Shaanxi, which were located in the middle of the North-South conflict; Yunnan and Guizhou in the southwest, less affected by the North; and Zhejiang, which, despite being controlled by the Anhui clique after the war, still had close ties with the South. All of these regions had varying degrees of "autonomy" and "federated governance" actions.

Overview

During the 1920s, when the Provincal Autonomy Movement was taking place, the central government's control over local regions was at its lowest point. No political group was able to utilize effective administrative structures to concentrate political and economic resources to rebuild central authority, resulting in a significant fragmentation of political power. With neither the northern nor southern governments able to unify China and the central leading forces absent, provincial identity and a new sense of national identity began to serve as tools for integrating social resources. Consequently, the political focus shifted to the provincial level, elevating the status of provinces.

Provincal Constitution Movement (1920-1926)

In the early years of the Republic of China, influenced by the idea of provincial autonomy, politicians and regional military leaders proposed a federal system as a political reform for China, advocating for constitutional autonomy in each province.

In 1920, two joint organizations emerged in Beijing: the Provincial Autonomy Federation and the Association of Autonomy Movement Comrades. In Tianjin, a joint office for the autonomy movement of five provinces and one region was established. In Shanghai, the Provincial Autonomy Federation of Shanghai Residents was formed. In 1921, Hunan Province was the first to introduce the Draft Constitution of Hunan Province, followed by Zhejiang, Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guangdong, which also drafted provincial constitutions. Provinces such as Hubei, Guangxi, Fujian, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, and Jiangsu actively prepared for constitutional autonomy as well. Zhang Binglin referred to this federalist movement as "Provincial Autonomy."

Canton

Chen Jiongming of Canton, under the slogans "Canton governed by Canton people" and "popularly elected county magistrates," set the stage for the provincial constitution movement in Guangdong. On December 19, 1921, the Provincial Assembly passed the Draft Constitution of Canton Province. Chen Jiongming, who was in charge of Guangdong at the time, supported this political system and promoted the drafting of the draft constitution by the Guangdong Assembly. The draft stipulated Guangdong's military and fiscal independence and autonomy, as well as its relationship with the Confederation of the Republic of China.

At the same time, influenced by the idea of provincial autonomy, Canton under Chen Jiongming held China's first-ever county magistrate elections. By September 1921, the election of county council members across Canton was completed, and by November, the election of county magistrates was also finalized.

In an issue of New Youth magazine at the time, a reader wrote a letter expressing great encouragement by Canton's elections, suggesting that Canton should no longer pursue actions aimed at "unifying China" but instead strive to "become a model new nation in the world."

Opinions from different parties

Positive Views

On January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen expressed his stance on provincial autonomy in his proclamation:

"The country is vast, and each province has its own local customs and needs. Previously, the Qing court forcibly implemented a policy of centralization to facilitate its pseudo-constitutional system. Now, with the provinces united and mutually striving for autonomy, the future administration should aim for a proper balance in the relationship between the central government and the provinces. Once the general framework is established, the specific provisions will naturally follow. This is what is called the unification of domestic governance."

In 1919, Liang Qichao first proposed the political concept of "provincial autonomy" in the foreword to his essay On Liberation and Reconstruction. He wrote:

"1. We firmly believe that the old-fashioned parliamentary politics is unsuitable for China; thus, we advocate that the people must acquire the ultimate right of self-determination in law.

2. We firmly believe that the organization of the state must be based entirely on local foundations; thus, we advocate that the powers of the central government should be reduced to the minimum necessary for maintaining external unity.

3. We firmly believe that local autonomy must arise voluntarily; thus, we advocate that provinces, down to counties and cities, should independently formulate and uphold their fundamental laws, and the state must recognize them."

Negative Views

Even before the Northern Expedition, Sun Yat-sen strongly criticized the "provincial autonomy movement." In his Fourth Lecture on the Principle of Democracy, Sun stated:

"Those who advocate for the division of China are certainly ambitious individuals seeking to carve out territories for themselves in various provinces. Examples include Tang Jiyao in Yunnan, Zhao Hengti in Hunan, Lu Rongting in Guangxi, and Chen Jiongming in Guangdong. This type of fragmented provincial autonomy is led by warlords, not by the people. Such provincial autonomy is not beneficial to China but rather serves personal interests. We must clearly distinguish between the two."