Secession in China

Kuomintang leader Sun Yat-sen issued a statement calling for the right of self-determination of all Chinese ethnic groups at a party conference in 1924:

“The Kuomintang can state with solemnity that it recognizes the right of self-determination of all national minorities in China and it will organize a free and united Chinese republic.”Quoted from National and Minority Policies, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science: Report of China 277, 1951, pp148-149

The 1931 constitution of the Chinese Soviet Republic accepted secession as legal, with article 14 stating

“The Soviet government of China recognizes the right of self-determination of the national minorities in China, their right to complete separation from China, and to the formation of an independent state for each national minority.”

However, the CCP's change from a revolutionary group to the dominant state power in 1949 led to this language being left out of later constitutions and any legal chance for secession disappeared from Chinese law.{{cite web |last1=Hales |first1=Ben |title=The Tangled History of the 'Tibet Card' |url=https://thediplomat.com/2020/08/the-tangled-history-of-the-tibet-card/ |website=thediplomat.com |publisher=The Diplomat |accessdate=14 August 2020}}

{{Unreliable sources|section|date=June 2024}}

{{Cleanup list|section|date=June 2024}}

• File:Proposed National Flag of Shanghai.svg Shanghainese nationalism{{cite news |last1=Areddy |first1=James T. |date=23 April 2022 |title=Shanghai Lockdown Bolsters a Fringe Independence Movement |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/shanghai-lockdown-bolsters-a-fringe-independence-movement-11650706204}}{{Cite web |title=Chinese Regional Separatist Movements |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/cn_sep.html |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=www.crwflags.com}}{{Cite web |date=2019-09-22 |title=独派人士下月聚首华府 向中国霸权说不 |url=https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/us-meeting-07312019073835.html |access-date=2024-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922151501/https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/us-meeting-07312019073835.html |archive-date=2019-09-22 }}
• 27x27px Inner Mongolian independence movement
• 27x27px Cantonese nationalism{{Cite web |date=2023-12-17 |title=世界人权日 伦敦多族裔游行促向北京问责 — 普通话主页 |work=普通话主页 |url=https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/6-12102023122647.html |access-date=2024-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217063754/https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/Xinwen/6-12102023122647.html |archive-date=2023-12-17 }}
• File:Flag of the Basuria independence movement.svg Bashu nationalism{{Cite web |last=tibetanreview |date=2022-08-06 |title=Sinicization will not succeed, Basuria will be free again |url=https://www.tibetanreview.net/sinicization-will-not-succeed-basuria-will-be-free-again/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Tibetan Review |language=en-US}}

{{further|Autonomous administrative divisions of China|Autonomous regions of China|Special administrative regions of China|One country, Two systems||}}

File:PRC Population Density.svg |   | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:top; float:right;"
colspan="2"| || Area (km2) || Population || Density
colspan="2"| China || 9,650,000 (100%) || 1,300,000,000 (100%) || 134.7/km2
colspan="2"| 5 provinces	5,246,400 (54.45%)	79,533,000 (6.12%)	rowspan="6"| 15.16/km2
rowspan="5"|	Inner Mongolia	1,183,000 (12.28% )	24,051,000
Xinjiang	1,660,000 (17.23%)	20,952,000
Tibet	1,228,400 (12.75%)	2,842,000
Qinghai	721,000 (7.48%)	5,516,000
Gansu	454,000 (4.71%)	26,172,000
colspan="2"| China proper	4,403,605 (45.55%)	1,221,000,000 (93.89%)	277.27/km2
colspan="5"| Source: National Bureau of Statistics

|}

File:China autonomous regions.svg]]

In 1997, the colony of Hong Kong was retroceded to China, leading to the creation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Under the jointly agreed upon Hong Kong Basic Law, the Hong Kong SAR would maintain its autonomy for 50 years until 2047, after which point, the region would assume full control by China. Hong Kong's autonomy, and its end in 2047, has created contention between those who support the Chinese government, and those who do not.{{Cite web|first1=Wilfred|last1=Chan|first2=Elaine|last2=Yu|title=Is Hong Kong's fight for democracy in its final round?|url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/16/china/hong-kong-democracy-vote-explainer/index.html|access-date=2020-12-14|website=CNN|date=16 June 2015}} A particular source of contention in recent years is with the structure of the Hong Kong government, where the Chief Executive is appointed by the Chinese government while local elections are held directly.{{Cite web|date=2019-09-26|title=Is universal suffrage as out of reach as ever for Hong Kong?|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3030402/hong-kong-marks-35-years-draft-sino-british-joint|access-date=2020-12-14|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}

In 2019, the Hong Kong extradition bill was proposed, which sparked protests throughout Hong Kong.{{Cite web|last=Creery|first=Jennifer|date=2019-06-09|title=Over a million attend Hong Kong demo against controversial extradition law, organisers say|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2019/06/09/just-no-china-extradition-tens-thousands-hong-kong-protest-controversial-new-law/|access-date=2020-12-14|website=Hong Kong Free Press HKFP|language=en-GB}} During the protests which followed, the pro-democracy camp gained general support alongside the Hong Kong independence movement to a small extent as well. Many of the anti-governmental groups supported localism and universal suffrage in all Hong Kong elections. In May 2020, the National People's Congress of China passed a decision concerning Hong Kong national security legislation, whereby "secession" and "subversion" were made illegal. This move has meant that pro-independence calls are now illegal by the new decision, although some still do call for independence despite the changes to the law. In Hong Kong, the pro-democracy camp enjoys general support,{{Cn|date=May 2025}} though the passing of the decision by the NPC has made protesting and the organization of protests more difficult.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-02|title='Impossible to allow' discussions on Hong Kong independence in schools|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3112173/ongoing-current-affairs-not-suitable-teaching-revamped|access-date=2020-12-14|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}

{{Main|Macau independence}}

The Macau independence movement is the political movement that advocates for the independence of Macau from China. Despite receiving little attention within Macau, the issue was raised in the Legislative Assembly of Macau following the Hong Kong Legislative Council oath-taking controversy. In 2017, several Chinese media outlets warned against discussion of Macau independence, fearing that speculation would lead to further action.{{cite news|author1=葉靖斯|title=澳門選舉：民主派保議席 天鴿風災與「港獨」吹出來的？|url=http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-41314247|accessdate=22 September 2017|agency=BBC中文網|date=18 September 2017|url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922102058/http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-41314247|archivedate=22 September 2017}}{{cite news|author1=甄樹基|title=環球時報炮製"澳獨"標籤澳門反對派立法會候選人|url=http://trad.cn.rfi.fr/%E6%B8%AF%E6%BE%B3%E5%8F%B0/20170916-%E7%92%B0%E7%90%83%E6%99%82%E5%A0%B1%E7%82%AE%E8%A3%BD%E6%BE%B3%E7%8D%A8%E6%A8%99%E7%B1%A4%E6%BE%B3%E9%96%80%E5%8F%8D%E5%B0%8D%E6%B4%BE%E7%AB%8B%E6%B3%95%E6%9C%83%E5%80%99%E9%81%B8%E4%BA%BA|accessdate=22 September 2017|agency=法國國際廣播電台|date=16 September 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916141244/http://trad.cn.rfi.fr/%E6%B8%AF%E6%BE%B3%E5%8F%B0/20170916-%E7%92%B0%E7%90%83%E6%99%82%E5%A0%B1%E7%82%AE%E8%A3%BD%E6%BE%B3%E7%8D%A8%E6%A8%99%E7%B1%A4%E6%BE%B3%E9%96%80%E5%8F%8D%E5%B0%8D%E6%B4%BE%E7%AB%8B%E6%B3%95%E6%9C%83%E5%80%99%E9%81%B8%E4%BA%BA|archivedate=16 September 2017}}{{cite news|title=公務員「被組團」參觀國安展 雖自由報名 但有調侃：當然冇幾個唔去|url=https://aamacau.com/2018/04/22/%E5%85%AC%E5%8B%99%E5%93%A1%E3%80%8C%E8%A2%AB%E7%B5%84%E5%9C%98%E3%80%8D%E5%8F%83%E8%A7%80%E5%9C%8B%E5%AE%89%E5%B1%95-%E9%9B%96%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1%E5%A0%B1%E5%90%8D-%E4%BD%86%E6%9C%89%E8%AA%BF/|agency=論盡媒體|date=22 April 2018}}

The Swedish magazine The Perspective speculated that the relative lack of independence sentiment in Macau stems from the SAR's reliance on gaming and tourism revenue from the Mainland. Macau is currently one of the richest regions in the world, and its wealth is derived almost entirely from gambling, which is illegal in the PRC.{{cite news |author1=Rick Huisman |title=Why prosperous Macau does not follow Hong Kong's gamble for independence |url=http://www.theperspective.se/?p=2284 |agency=The Perspective |date=10 November 2016}}

{{Main|Tibetan independence movement}}

After the failed Tibetan uprising, some Tibetans followed the Dalai Lama into India, establishing a government-in-exile called the Central Tibetan Administration.{{cite web|url=http://www.dalailama.com/page.99.htm|title=Speech of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the European Parliament, Strasbourg|date=14 October 2001|publisher=The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325221348/http://www.dalailama.com/page.99.htm|archivedate=25 March 2009|url-status=dead|accessdate=11 April 2009}}

The movement is no longer supported by the 14th Dalai Lama who, although having advocated it from 1961 to the late 1970s, proposed a sort of high-level autonomy in a speech in Strasbourg in 1988,{{Cite book|author=Smith, Warren W.|title=China's Tibet?: Autonomy or Assimilation|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2008|isbn=978-0-7425-3989-1|page=214}} and has since then restricted his position to either autonomy for the Tibetan people in the Tibet Autonomous Region within China,{{cite web|title=Tibet part of China: Dalai Lama|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Tibet-part-of-China-Dalai-Lama/2005/03/14/1110649123769.html|last1=McDonald|first1=Hamish|date=15 March 2005|work=The Age|publisher=Fairfax|accessdate=12 March 2012}} or extending the area of the autonomy to include parts of neighboring Chinese provinces inhabited by Tibetans.{{cite web |title=Reasonable Demands Needed From Dalai Lama |website=Forbes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025212614/https://www.forbes.com/2008/05/01/tibet-china-talks-oped-cx_lbm_0501tibet.html |archive-date=2022-10-25 |url-status=live |url=https://www.forbes.com/2008/05/01/tibet-china-talks-oped-cx_lbm_0501tibet.html}}

{{Main|Xinjiang conflict|East Turkestan independence movement}}

Several armed insurgency groups are fighting the Chinese (PRC) government in Xinjiang, namely, the Turkestan Islamic Party and the East Turkestan Liberation Organization, which some people consider to be associated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.{{cite web|url=https://thediplomat.com/2017/03/al-qaeda-and-islamic-state-take-aim-at-china/|title=Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Take Aim at China. Why have both groups turned their attention to Beijing?|website=The Diplomat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314072328/https://thediplomat.com/2017/03/al-qaeda-and-islamic-state-take-aim-at-china/|archive-date=14 March 2017|url-status=live|accessdate=30 March 2017}}

{{Main|Inner Mongolian independence movement}}

South Mongolian independence is supported by these political parties: the Inner Mongolian People's Party, a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization; the Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance;{{cite web|url=http://www.smhric.org/news_39.htm|title="Inner Mongolian People's Party" and the basic facts about its key members|publisher=Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225210314/http://www.smhric.org/news_39.htm|archive-date=25 February 2009|url-status=live|accessdate=11 April 2009}} and the Mongolian Liberal Union Party.{{cite web|url=http://www.lupm.org/japanese/index.htm|title=モンゴル自由連盟党|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726004625/http://www.lupm.org/japanese/index.htm|archive-date=26 July 2010|url-status=live|accessdate=22 November 2010}}(JP)

{{Main|Manchukuo Government}}

File:Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms 923 CE.png]]

The Manchukuo Government (formerly known as the Manchukuo Temporary Government until 2019) is an organisation established in 2004 in Hong Kong.{{citation|url=http://www.nownews.com/2009/12/10/91-2544538.htm|periodical=NOWNews|date=2009-12-10|accessdate=2011-09-26|title=滿洲國復辟？ 金溥聰有個族人自封是皇帝 {{bracket|Manchukuo restored? King Pu-tsung has a clansman who proclaimed himself emperor}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325153119/http://www.nownews.com/2009/12/10/91-2544538.htm|archive-date=2012-03-25|url-status=dead}} On its website, it claims to be the government in exile of Manchukuo, a Japanese puppet state with limited recognition, which controlled Manchuria from 1932 to 1945; it seeks to revive the state and to separate it from the People's Republic of China, which controls its claimed territory.{{citation|url=http://www.nownews.com/2009/09/16/142-2506703.htm|periodical=NOWNews|date=2009-09-16|accessdate=2011-09-26|title=滿洲國要復活了！ {{bracket|Manchukuo revived!}}|author=孫亨利 [Henry Sun]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325153130/http://www.nownews.com/2009/09/16/142-2506703.htm|archive-date=2012-03-25|url-status=dead}} On its website, it claims to have merged with other Manchu independence organizations as of 2019.

{{portal|China}}

{{reflist}}

{{notelist}}

{{Secession in Countries}}

{{Han subgroups}}

{{Ethnic groups in China}}

Category:National liberation movements

Category:Politics of the People's Republic of China

Category:Separatism in China

Category:Secession