China's ethnic unity law takes effect as critics warn of forced assimilation

The law and its provisions

The Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which took effect on 1 July, mandates Mandarin as the sole language of instruction for children from age three and requires political alignment with the Communist Party. It bans activities that "compromise ethnic unity or create ethnic divisions," a phrase critics say is vague enough to target any minority cultural expression. The legislation was passed overwhelmingly by the National People's Congress in March and is now being enforced, with officials describing it as a tool for social harmony and a shared national identity.

Impact on ethnic minorities

Minority communities, who constitute about 125 million people, face new restrictions on teaching and using languages such as Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian. Parents who defy the language rules can receive visits from authorities, and anecdotal reports mention neighbours reporting each other for speaking non‑Mandarin, according to Human Rights Watch researcher Yalkun Uluyol.

Chinese authorities have human rights obligations requiring them to protect minority communities and their cultures, but this law does the opposite.

Tibetan sociologist Gyal Lo, who researched the school system for 40 years, said that up to 80 percent of Tibetan children are now in boarding schools where Tibetan is only a second‑language subject and Mandarin dominates.

China uses the school system as a weapon to complete the colonization of Tibet.

Historical context

The law formalizes policies that have been expanding for decades. The 1950 annexation of Tibet was followed by waves of Han migration into border regions. Under Xi Jinping, the pace quickened: in 2017 it emerged that over a million Uyghurs were held in re‑education camps; in Inner Mongolia the Mongolian language was banned in schools; religious and cultural practices were severely restricted. The new law, Uluyol noted, makes these measures permanent.

These measures are not new, but the law makes them permanent.

International reactions

Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung‑tai said the law targets the island’s 23.5 million people and aims to annex Taiwan. An article in the law specifically mentions Taiwanese compatriots, and Taipei’s foreign ministry warned that anyone whose words or actions displease Beijing could be pursued.

The 23.5 million Taiwanese do not agree.

Nine US lawmakers, including the top members of the Senate foreign relations committee, condemned the law. Germany also criticized it, and UN human rights chief Volker Türk said the text risked deepening restrictions on language, education, religious practice, and assembly. China’s vice‑minister of justice Hu Weilie defended the law as legitimate and in line with international practice.

Extraterritorial reach

Article 63 extends liability to individuals and organisations outside China for acts deemed harmful to ethnic unity, alarming dissidents abroad. Amnesty International warned the provision gives Beijing legal cover to pursue exiled activists, many of whom still have family in China. Rights groups see it as another step toward transnational repression.