Provinces of China
The Republic of China, established in 1912, set up four more provinces in Inner Mongolia and two provinces in historic Tibet, bringing the total to 28. In 1931, Ma Zhongying established Hexi in the northern parts of Gansu but the ROC never acknowledged the province. However, China lost four provinces with the establishment of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria. After the defeat of Japan in World War II in 1945, China re-incorporated Manchuria as 10 provinces, and assumed control of Taiwan as a province. As a result, the Republic of China in 1946 had 35 provinces. Although the Republic of China now only controls one province (Taiwan), and some islands of a second province (Fujian), it continues to formally claim all 35 provinces (including those that no longer form part of the area of the People's Republic of China).
List of Catholic dioceses in China
The Catholic Church recognizes the Republic of China as the sole government for all of China; nevertheless, it does not recognize all of its territorial claims. The term “China” has to be understood as including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan in its 1949 provincial boundaries and Mainland China as effectively controlled by the People's Republic of China. Due to the non-recognition of the People's Republic of China, however, the authority of the Taipei-based Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference is effectively limited to the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. The dioceses of Hong Kong (suffragan of Kanton) and Macao (exempt) do not belong to that conference. The dioceses of Mainland China take part in the Beijing-based Chinese Bishops Conference, which is not recognized by the Holy See.