Can China target critics abroad with its new 'ethnic unity' law?

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Critics of the Chinese government who live abroad fear what the new law means for them Zhang Yadi, 23, also known as Tara, is supposed to be studying at a prestigious university in the UK. Instead she is believed to be in detention in China. In one of her last posts on the social media platform "X", she wished the Dalai Lama a happy 90th birthday. She had also helped edit an online Chinese language platform promoting Tibetan rights while studying in France. Her words of support for Tibetans, posted while abroad, are believed to have put her in prison. Beijing views the exiled spiritual leader as a separatist and what it calls the Tibet Autonomous Region, which it annexed in 1950, as an integral part of China. Tara was reportedly arrested in Shangri-La in Yunnan province in July last year while on a visit to China, and is thought to be facing charges of "inciting others to split the country and undermine national unity." Her story is a grave lesson in China's tolerance for dissent, or what it sees as separatism, as a new law takes effect: one that could even give the government the right to target people outside of its own borders. Beijing has long been accused of intimidating dissidents overseas, from pressuring Uyghur activists to tracking down government critics in exile to offering bounties for Hong Kong's pro-democracy campaigners. But the "Ethnic Unity Law", which comes into effect on Wednesday, will now give the Chinese government legal cover for its actions. This comes at a time when Beijing is polishing its image abroad as it cements its role as a global power. It is throwing open its doors to foreign leaders and tourists. Several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have walked the red carpet outside the Great Hall of the People to shake hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Loosened visa restrictions and online campaigns encourage people from as many as 77 countries, including most of Europe, to visit China. Social media posts by influencers travelling across the country, including to tightly-controlled regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, focus on the country's diverse geography and beauty. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Dalai Lama attending a prayer in July 2025 in Dharamsala, India This new law may help Xi control China's critics abroad, whose accounts and narratives challenge Beijing, and its own reputation. But it also has the potential to damage it. Members of the European Parliament have already written warning member states to consider suspending extradition treaties with China and that if this law targeted European citizens, it could "lead to severe consequences for EU-China relations." The law on ethnic unity aims to create what it describes as "unity," "social harmony" and a "shared" national identity among the country's 56 ethnic groups, which include Tibetans and Uyghurs, who have in the past rebelled against Chinese rule. But critics fear it will further erode the rights of minority groups in Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. Buried in the law is a clause that is especially causing concern for many Chinese citizens overseas. Article 63 gives Chinese authorities the right to act against organisations and individuals outside China that "undermine ethnic unity and progress or create ethnic division". This appears to give the Chinese government the legal authority to go after advocates for ethnic minorities who live abroad. "Rather than protecting diversity and equality, the law requires conformity," says Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks. "Peaceful advocacy for minority rights in China by anyone, anywhere could be characterised as undermining 'ethnic unity'. This law puts a national legal framework behind policies that have already devastated the rights of Uyghurs, Tibetans and other non-Han ethnic groups." This law would be difficult to enforce on foreign countries, and experts believe it is likely aimed at discouraging any debate. For prominent activists in foreign countries, who still have families in China, it is a signal that their words, even from a distance, could have real consequences for loved ones within the country. And they may never be able to safely return to their homeland. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Protesters in London's Piccadilly Circus gather in support of Tibet A number of prominent voices outside the country who have raised concerns about the Chinese government's treatment of ethnic minorities such as Tibetans, Uyghurs and Mongolians have told rights groups that their family members in China have been increasingly threatened in the last year. Tibetans in exile are particularly worried as this law comes into effect just days before the Dalai Lama's 91st birthday. The Chinese government started to push for what it describes as the "sinicisation" of minority groups in the late 2000s. It is aimed at c

Can China target critics abroad with its new 'ethnic unity' law?

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Can China target critics abroad with its new 'ethnic unity' law?

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