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Direct-controlled municipalities are the highest-level cities in China, with status equal to that of the provinces. Both the People's Republic of China (PRC) on mainland China and the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan adopt this system with some variations. Geographically and culturally, many of the Chinese municipalities are enclaves in the middle of provinces. Some occur in strategic positions in-between provinces. Current municipalities of PRC are Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing, and current municipalities under ROC administration are Kaohsiung and Taipei.