US and EU Condemn China's New Ethnic Unity Law

The Government of the People's Republic of China implemented the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress on July 1, 2026. Passed in March to create a shared national identity among 55 ethnic groups, the legislation allows Beijing to hold individuals and groups outside its borders legally accountable for inciting ethnic separatism or undermining ethnic unity.

The United States Department of State and the European Union criticized the law's extraterritorial application, with U.S. officials pledging to protect individuals within their borders from foreign coercion. Germany and the United Kingdom also condemned the law, describing it as a mechanism for forced assimilation and transnational repression. In Berlin, representatives of Tibetan, Uyghur, and Hong Kong communities held protests on July 1, calling the law a violation of international human rights principles.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council condemned the law as an instrument of intimidation, warning citizens of extradition risks in countries with close ties to Beijing. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk and Amnesty International have similarly warned that the law institutionalizes the erasure of minority cultural and religious identities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China dismissed the international backlash as a "malicious smear" and interference in internal affairs. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun argued that the law strengthens the rule of law and protects the rights of all ethnic groups, accusing critics of acting out of ideological bias and political manipulation.