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>>Meanwhile, China's hierarchical system remains fragmented and autonomous below the top levels of power.

exponential decay wrt distance to Beijing

「天高皇帝遠」 as the Chinese saying goes. (en: Heaven is high and the emperor far away)

Russian has a very similar adage:

До Бога высоко, до Царя́ далеко. (God is high above and the Tsar is far away)

Бог високо, цар далеко in Bulgarian too.

I heard: "The mountains are high, and the emperor is far away."