China’s new ethnic unity law extends its legal reach overseas | Government News
China Expands Legal Reach with New Ethnic Unity Law Amid Criticism
Published on July 2, 2026
China has enacted a controversial new law aimed at promoting ethnic unity, which critics warn may facilitate transnational repression. The “Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress,” passed by the National People’s Congress in March, officially took effect Wednesday.
The legislation has attracted significant scrutiny from international human rights organizations, including the United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Minority Rights and Cultural Rights. Critics argue that it has been employed to justify forced assimilation policies in regions such as Tibet and Xinjiang, rather than fostering genuine ethnic harmony.
Particularly contentious is Article 63 of the law, which extends China’s legal jurisdiction beyond its borders. The provision stipulates that “organisations and individuals outside of mainland China who commit crimes aimed at [China] that undermine ethnic unity and progress or create ethnic division are to be pursued for legal responsibility in accordance with law,” according to a translated excerpt.
Amnesty International raised concerns that this article could enable China to repress overseas citizens and activists. Sarah Brooks, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director, emphasized that peaceful advocacy for minority rights could be interpreted as undermining “ethnic unity” under this framework.
Zhou Jianshe, spokesperson for the State Council Information Office, defended Article 63 last week, characterizing it as a “legitimate, lawful, necessary, and workable legal provision.” He accused Western media of misrepresenting the law as an instance of “long-arm jurisdiction.”
The law has also sparked apprehension in Taiwan, where officials fear it could be used to target Taiwanese citizens abroad. In response to the law’s implementation, President William Lai Ching-te urged Taiwanese citizens to exercise caution while in China and announced that his government would continue to monitor developments and offer guidance to citizens overseas.
Taiwan, which operates as a self-governing democracy, is viewed by Beijing as a breakaway province. The relationship has soured further since President Tsai Ing-wen’s election in 2016, a move that resulted in the cessation of official communication between Taipei and Beijing.
In 2024, Taiwan intensified travel warnings after China declared that “die-hard” Taiwanese independence activists could face prosecution in absentia and potentially the death penalty for promoting secession.