China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law officially came into effect on July 1. Taiwanese national security officials say the legislation is the world’s first law to institutionalize what they describe as transnational repression through domestic legislation.
According to officials, the law not only closely links “ethnic unity” with national security and political loyalty, but also extends its legal reach to people outside China, potentially creating a new tool for Beijing to pressure overseas dissidents and people in Taiwan.
The Taiwanese government said it will continue strengthening travel-risk advisories for people visiting China, study mechanisms to prevent domestic collaborators from facilitating transnational repression, and deepen cooperation with democratic countries to jointly address related threats.
China passed the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law in March this year. The legislation comprises seven chapters and 65 articles, covering areas including education, language, religion, publishing, the internet, and business activities. It also addresses matters involving Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities. The law states that its purpose is to “forge a strong sense of the Chinese national community” while safeguarding national unity and ethnic solidarity.
According to the Taiwanese national security officials, the provisions attracting the greatest attention are Articles 20, 62, and 63.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
They said Article 63 authorizes Chinese authorities to hold legally accountable any overseas organization or individual deemed to have engaged in activities that “undermine ethnic unity” or “promote ethnic separatism,” regardless of nationality or location.
The officials also said Article 62 subjects acts such as “incitement” and “financial support” to punishment, while leaving the criteria for determining such offenses entirely in the hands of the Chinese authorities, thereby granting law enforcement broad discretion.
In addition, they noted that Article 20 requires families to educate minors to love the Chinese Communist Party and prohibits teaching ideas considered harmful to ethnic unity, thereby extending political ideology into family education.
Law may be inconsistent with human rights standards
A Taiwanese national security official said that, according to observations issued by United Nations human rights experts in April this year, the law may be inconsistent with several international human rights standards, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Central News Agency reported.
The official also said that the European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling on China to repeal or substantially revise the relevant provisions of the law.
The national security official said the law could potentially affect a wide range of people, including Uyghurs and Tibetans living overseas, overseas Chinese dissidents, foreign politicians, academics, journalists, think tank researchers, multinational corporations, religious organizations, Taiwanese government officials, and ordinary Taiwanese citizens. According to the official, all of these groups could potentially become targets of pressure under the law.
The official added that China has previously exerted pressure on people overseas through measures such as alleged overseas police stations, cross-border harassment, Operation Fox Hunt, and Operation Sky Net. In the official’s view, the new law could provide a legal basis for such measures in the future, making what Taiwan characterizes as transnational repression more institutionalized.
Regarding Taiwan’s response, the official said the government will pursue measures in three key areas: improving the public’s ability to recognize potential risks, strengthening domestic protective mechanisms, and deepening international cooperation.
These measures include continuing to issue travel and exchange advisories through agencies such as the Mainland Affairs Council, reminding people traveling to China not only to pay attention to their personal safety but also to be aware that law enforcement authorities may inspect the contents of their mobile phones, computers, and social media accounts. The official warned that electronic devices containing material related to Taiwan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, or other topics regarded as sensitive could increase legal risks.
Religious leaders advised to pay attention to local legal restrictions
The official also advised religious figures traveling to China for exchanges to pay close attention to local legal restrictions. According to the official, the Chinese authorities have long prohibited overseas religious organizations from conducting activities such as proselytizing, baptisms, and religious ordinations within China. Religious groups that are unfamiliar with the relevant regulations may face greater legal risks and therefore have a responsibility to inform participants of those restrictions.
In addition, the official said the government is studying the creation of a mechanism to prevent domestic collaborators from facilitating transnational repression. The proposal would seek to address networks within Taiwan that might assist by disseminating specific narratives, discrediting targeted individuals, or coordinating funding and organizational activities. The government aims to establish a more comprehensive preventive framework through legislation, administrative measures, and interagency cooperation, thereby strengthening deterrence.
The official emphasized that transnational repression has become an issue of shared concern among democratic countries. At a recent meeting under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), participating countries exchanged views on the issue.
Looking ahead, the official said Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with like-minded countries to build a coordinated protective network, reduce the scope for the Chinese authorities to influence democratic societies through legislation and cross-border law enforcement, and closely monitor how the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law is enforced and its impact on the region and the international community.
