Key facts
- The EU is concerned about China's new ethnic unity law, which took effect this week.
- The law provides a legal basis for China to act against individuals outside its borders.
- The EU stated it opposes the extraterritorial application of third-country legislation in breach of international law.
- Taiwan expressed alarm that the law could be used to target individuals it views as separatists.
The European Union has expressed concern regarding China's new law on ethnic unity, which became effective this week. The legislation provides Beijing with a legal framework to pursue actions against individuals located outside of China's borders.
Enacted in March, the law aims to foster a unified national identity among China's 55 ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs, some of whom have historically resisted Chinese rule. A key provision of the law states that individuals and groups outside the People's Republic of China can be held legally accountable for actions that undermine "ethnic unity and progress or inciting ethnic separatism."
An EU spokesperson indicated that the new law might further curtail the cultural, linguistic, and religious freedoms of ethnic minorities, emphasizing that such rights should be protected in accordance with international human rights standards and China's UN commitments. The spokesperson explicitly stated the EU's opposition to the extraterritorial application of foreign legislation that violates international law and called on countries to avoid transnational repression within the EU or elsewhere.
In response to inquiries, a senior Chinese official asserted that the government has the right to hold individuals accountable for contravening the law outside its borders, characterizing this as a legal and necessary practice aligned with international norms. Rights groups have previously accused China of using Interpol 'red notices' to seek the arrest of individuals abroad for political offenses.
The law has also raised alarms in Taiwan, which fears it could provide Beijing with additional legal grounds to pursue individuals it deems separatists. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council stated that the government would collaborate with like-minded nations to counter such threats, labeling the law as "intimidation and coercion through malicious transnational repression."