China's Ethnic Unity Law Takes Effect Amid International Criticism
China's new Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress officially came into effect on July 1, 2026, according to multiple reports. The legislation, passed in March by the National People's Congress, is designed to create a "shared" national identity among the country's 55 government-recognized ethnic minority groups, which include Tibetans and Uyghurs and make up just under 9% of the population.
The law formalizes policies to promote Mandarin as the language of education and official business while criminalizing activities deemed as "violent terrorist activities, ethnic separatist activities, or religious extremist activities." It also includes provisions requiring parents from ethnic minorities to "educate and guide minors to love the Communist Party of China" and prohibiting the sharing of ideas considered "detrimental to national unity and progress."
Article 63 of the law has drawn particular international attention for extending China's legal reach overseas. According to a translation cited in reports, the article states 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."
The law has sparked criticism from various quarters. Amnesty International has warned that Article 63 could be used to justify transnational repression of overseas citizens and activists. Sarah Brooks, Amnesty's Deputy Regional Director, said the law would require "political and ideological alignment with the Chinese Communist Party" and "further institutionalise policies of forced assimilation." She also noted that "peaceful advocacy for minority rights in China by anyone, anywhere could be characterised as undermining 'ethnic unity'."
Taiwan expressed "strong condemnation" of the law on the day it came into effect, saying it expanded "threats and intimidation against the people of our country and other nations." Taiwan's foreign ministry warned that "individuals from any country whose words or actions are not acceptable to China may become targets of the law or be pursued under it."
The Australian government also raised concerns about the law. A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said concerns had been raised "directly with China and at the UN Human Rights Council," stating that "the Australian government is concerned about the human rights implications of China's Ethnic Unity Law, including its potential to curtail the rights and freedoms of individuals beyond China's borders."
The Australia Tibet Council called on Foreign Minister Penny Wong to "take action," saying the law "represents a significant escalation of policies that seek to erase Tibetan identity" and "could be used to target people and organisations outside China, raising serious concerns about transnational repression and the safety of Tibetan-Australians."
The United Nations has also weighed in. UN rights chief Volker Turk has called for the law to be repealed, and UN Special Rapporteurs on Minority Rights and Cultural Rights have said the law has been used to justify forced assimilation in regions like Tibet and Xinjiang.
In response to the criticism, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused "certain countries" of making "sweeping generalisations [and] maliciously smearing China's ethnic policies." He urged these countries to "respect the basic facts, stop spreading falsehoods, and stop exploiting the so-called ethnic issues as a pretext for interfering in China's internal affairs."
Beijing has consistently denied engaging in rights abuses against any ethnic group and maintains that all ethnic groups benefit from its policies of internal security and economic development.