China’s new law on ethnic unity, passed in March 2026, went into effect this week. In response, on Thursday, July 2nd, the European Union expressed concern that it will allow Beijing to take legal action against people outside its borders.
According to an EU representative
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.
We call on any third country to refrain from attempts to conduct transnational repression within the European Union or elsewhere.
This principled stand may come as a surprise to sovereigntist European politicians involved in legal conflicts with Brussels.
Beijing’s new law builds on China’s official recognition of 55 ethnic minority groups, which together make up almost 9% of the mainland population, alongside the Han majority. While some minority groups object to their status within the People’s Republic of China (PRC), others—including some Tibetans and Uyghurs—reject Chinese rule altogether. The law states that individuals and groups outside the PRC can be held legally accountable for undermining “ethnic unity and progress” or inciting “ethnic separatism.”
It remains unclear how broadly the law could be enforced. Questions remain over whether it could be used against members of China’s ethnic minorities living abroad, Chinese citizens overseas, or even other people residing in the European Union, particularly those exercising what Brussels describes as the “cultural, linguistic and religious rights of ethnic minorities.”
