TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US State Department on Thursday said it will defend US sovereignty and protect people from foreign governments' extraterritorial overreach after China enacted a new law promoting ethnic unity that critics say could be used to target individuals overseas.
A State Department spokesperson told Taiwan News the law is "problematic" because it imposes "sweeping obligations" on individuals, institutions, and organizations, including those outside China, to promote the CCP's "ethnic unity" agenda. Those who fail to do so could face retaliation from Chinese authorities, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the US would safeguard its sovereignty and defend people within its borders from the overreach of foreign governments and regimes seeking to "silence, intimidate, harass, harm or coerce" them.
Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of 14 US lawmakers sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to publicly condemn the new law. The lawmakers said the measure legitimizes Beijing's assimilation campaign against Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, and other non-Han communities.
China's Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress was passed by the country's top legislature in March and took effect Wednesday. The law comprises 65 articles across seven chapters, covering education, language, publishing, the internet, business activities, religion, and matters concerning Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities.
Article 63 has drawn particular international concern because it extends legal liability beyond China's borders. It says overseas organizations and individuals that undermine "national unity and progress" or create ethnic division may be prosecuted under Chinese law.
