In the following reforms, most adopted the Zhejiang model, granting counties independent financial power only. Most counties chosen for these pilot programs were prosperous.

An important reason for Hainan's more dramatic reform approach is its small population and area. With a population of 8.2 million, Hainan, which became a province in 1998, has never put counties under the jurisdiction of prefecture-level governments. The over 20 counties and prefecture-level cities in Hainan are both under the direct jurisdiction of the provincial government.

Wang Yukai, professor at CNSA, said Hainan's model of giving both financial power and other administrative powers to counties represents a trend of the future. "Without having other administrative powers, the conflicts between prefecture-level governments and county governments cannot be solved," said Wang.

Some experts believe that the ultimate goal of the reform is to revoke all prefecture-level cities and restore the administrative system of county governments directly under provincial governments.

Prudence

The number of counties in China's mainland provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions varies widely. For example, Beijing and Tianjin municipalities each have fewer than 30 counties, yet provinces like Sichuan and Shandong each have more than 140 counties. A provincial government might be under strain to administer so many counties at the same time, according to some experts. With this in mind, reforms to place counties directly under provincial government control are still at a trial stage.

Some experts said reforms should be conducted on a trial basis in provinces that have a fast-growing economy, relatively small territory and strong calls from the public for a change.

Some people have expressed concern that if the powers are given to counties without adequate supervision, some could squander extra resources on projects for short-term profits, which could offset China's efforts to pursue sustainable development. Therefore, the key to the reform will be effective supervision of county governments.