When Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington on September 24, the diplomatic agenda is expected to be extensive, covering critical topics such as trade, technology, the flow of fentanyl, Taiwan, and broader global security concerns. However, there is a significant issue that observers argue the United States cannot afford to overlook: China’s newly enacted Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress.
Passed by China’s National People’s Congress in March and officially taking effect on July 1, the law is presented by Beijing as a measure to foster harmony among the nation’s ethnic groups. Critics, including Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Southern Mongolians, argue that the legislation does not protect unity but instead codifies forced assimilation campaigns that these communities have endured for years. Since 2017, the Chinese government has engaged in a systematic effort to erode Uyghur national identity, religion, and cultural life; this new law expands and formalizes that assault.
A primary concern for American officials is the law's extraterritorial reach. Article 63 stipulates that individuals and organizations outside of China can be held legally responsible for actions deemed to undermine ethnic unity or promote division. China’s vice justice minister has defended this provision as legitimate, lawful, necessary, and feasible. Furthermore, Article 10 asserts that Beijing will resolutely oppose foreign entities that use religion, human rights, or ethnicity as excuses to disparage, contain, suppress, or infiltrate the People's Republic of China.
This represents an explicit claim by Beijing to police identities beyond its borders, posing a threat not only to those with family ties in China but to all Americans. The risks are already manifesting; since the law's implementation, some Uyghurs abroad have stopped sending their children to language schools out of fear of state retaliation. The law creates an atmosphere of fear, leading people to wonder if social media posts, public speeches, or private religious acts could endanger loved ones back home. This is how transnational repression functions, as the government does not need to arrest every activist to succeed; it only needs to ensure people believe their actions abroad have consequences for their families.
While other nations have taken a stand—with Australia raising concerns, the European Parliament calling for repeal, and U.N. experts warning of the expansion of transnational repression—the United States has yet to issue a clear condemnation. Advocates argue that President Trump should raise this issue directly with President Xi to ensure that China’s enforcement efforts do not violate American sovereignty. Washington is encouraged to send a firm message that China’s attempts to dictate what people living in democratic societies can say, believe, or advocate for must stop at the U.S. border.
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Article 10 asserts that foreign entities “using excuses such as ethnicity, religion, or human rights to insult and disparage, contain and suppress, or infiltrate and undermine the PRC are to be resolutely opposed.”
