China has defended a controversial new law that could allow authorities to pursue individuals and organisations beyond its borders for activities deemed harmful to ethnic unity, a move that has alarmed rights groups and overseas minority activists.
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The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, which comes into force on July 1, seeks to strengthen what Beijing describes as a shared national identity among the country's ethnic groups. One provision extends potential legal liability to people and organisations outside China, an aspect that has drawn particular scrutiny.
Rights advocates warn that the measure could provide fresh legal grounds for targeting overseas campaigners from communities such as the Uyghurs and Tibetans, whose treatment by Chinese authorities has long been a source of international criticism.
Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, Vice Justice Minister Hu Weilie defended the legislation and rejected suggestions that it represented an unprecedented expansion of Chinese legal reach.
"This provision is grounded in national realities... conforms to international practice, and constitutes a legitimate, lawful, necessary, and feasible legal measure," Hu said, according to an official transcript quoted by news agency AFP.
China officially recognises 55 ethnic minority groups alongside the Han majority and has consistently denied allegations of rights abuses against minority communities.
Passed by the National People's Congress in March, the new law formalises several existing policies, including the promotion of Mandarin in education, government administration and public life.
It also places a strong emphasis on social cohesion and criminalises participation in what it describes as "violent terrorist activities, ethnic separatist activities, or religious extremist activities".
Critics argue that the legislation goes much further than promoting national unity.
Human Rights Watch said last year that the law could "facilitate intensifying ideological controls" and "target ethnic and religious minorities including by erasing minority language rights".
The organisation also warned that the legislation could "foster control beyond China's borders", arguing that Beijing has repeatedly sought to silence critics living overseas. Chinese authorities have denied such accusations.
Hu dismissed concerns about the overseas enforcement clause, accusing some Western media outlets of misrepresenting its purpose by portraying it as a form of extraterritorial or "long-arm jurisdiction".
According to the minister, the law is designed to address "illegal acts" that "undermine ethnic unity and progress or incite ethnic separatism".
"Its fundamental purpose is to safeguard ethnic harmony, social stability, and national security, which aligns with the spirit of international law," he added.
The legislation has reignited debate over the global reach of Chinese law and whether Beijing's efforts to promote ethnic unity at home could increasingly affect activists, dissidents and minority advocates living abroad.
