EU raises alarm over China's new ethnic unity law targeting people overseas

The European Union has raised concerns on Thursday over China’s newly passed ethnic unity law which went into effect on Wednesday, passed in late March.

This law legally empowered Beijing to take actions against those people who are overseas or outside its borders. As per the Chinese government, the law aims to cultivate a shared national identity across China’s 55 ethnic minorities, including Tibetan and Uyghurs. These communities have been involved in the protests in opposition to Chinese rule.

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Moreover, people who belong beyond China’s border would be subjected to legal procedure if they were found complicit in undermining "ethnic unity and progress or inciting ethnic separatism".

In response to clauses mentioned in the law, the EU spokesperson issued a statement, stating, the new law may further deprive the ethnic minorities of the cultural, linguistic and religious rights.

"We are concerned about the extraterritorial application of the law. The EU opposes the extraterritorial application of third-country legislation in breach of international law," the spokesperson said.

"We call on any third country to refrain ⁠from attempts to conduct transnational repression within the European Union or elsewhere."

To ensure human rights, such all-encompassing rights must be aligned with international human rights standards and China’s commitments within the UN framework.

The law also sparked criticism from Taiwan as it gives China’s free hand to go after Taiwanese by claiming them separatists.

China’s foreign ministry has not yet responded to these concerns.