We cover Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in separate articles. From the practical traveller's point of view, they are quite different; each has its own visas, currency and so on.
Politically, Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Regions, part of China but with capitalist economies and distinct political systems. The slogan is "One country, two systems".
Taiwan is a special case. At the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Communists held most of China and the defeated Nationalists held only Taiwan and a few offshore islands of Fujian. That situation continues to this day; Taiwan has had a separate government for 60 years. Both governments in theory support eventual reunification, but there is also significant pro-independence support within Taiwan.
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