A Research On The Reform Of Administrative Divisions In Hunan Province

Since the reform and opening-up, China has witnessed the deepening of itseconomic system, the establishment and perfection of its socialist market economy, aswell as the transformation of governmental function and the constant advancement ofits productivity. However, disadvantages have emerged from current administrativedivisions which have been increasingly unable to meet the needs of socialistmodernization. Therefore, administrative divisions should be made adjustment andreform according to the development of economic society. Under the abovemacro-background, this paper explores issues on reform of administrative divisions inHunan province.First of all, after a comprehensive analysis of research results by scholars fromhome and abroad, the author, based on China’s actual conditions, makes a scientificand reasonable definition of ‘administrative divisions’, in which the characteristics ofadministrative areas, the significance, theoretical basis and necessity ofadministrative divisions reform are covered.Second, this paper conducts a brief review of the history of Hunan’sadministrative divisions and a summative elaboration of its current situation. Basedon related literature and investigations, the author reveals some common problems inthe process of reform. For instance, the excessive hierarchy and irrational structure ofadministrative districts, function deficiency in urban and ethnic administrativedivisions. Besides, the author also analyzes the main reasons, like restrictions fromadministrative division system in the national level, comparatively backwardtheoretical researches, the imperfection of local law construction, and the slowdevelopment of local economy.Third, the author makes a conclusive introduction to the experience in reform ofadministrative divisions by some model provinces in recent years, and tries tosummarize some beneficial enlightenment on Hunan’s reform. On this basis, thispaper, in combining fundamental principles which reform of administrative divisionsshould obey with the practical conditions and features of Hunan’s administrativedivisions, proposes the basic ideas of the reform in Hunan province, i.e. making aproper reduction of administrative management levels, integrating several minorcounties and districts, gradually increasing the number of urban administrativedivisions, and making reasonable adjustment to ethnic administrative divisions, and so on, hoping that it will provide theoretical guidance and enlightenments to thereform of administrative divisions in Hunan province. At last, this paper presents aconclusion of this research, and points out several problems which are worthy offurther study.