A new Chinese law, known as the "Ethnic Unity and Progress Law," has come into effect, raising concerns about its potential role in extending Beijing’s reach beyond its borders to suppress critics worldwide. The legislation, which takes effect on the 29th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China and coincides with the sixth anniversary of the imposition of Hong Kong’s national security law, is seen by observers as a broad legal tool targeting dissidents, diaspora communities, and foreign entities perceived as hostile to Beijing’s ethnic policies.

Article 10 of the law explicitly forbids foreign interference in matters of ethnic unity and development, condemning acts that use ethnicity, religion, or human rights allegations to "insult, disparage, contain and suppress, or infiltrate and undermine the People’s Republic of China." More significantly, Article 63 provides for legal action against individuals and organizations outside mainland China who are deemed to undermine ethnic unity or create ethnic division, potentially enabling Chinese authorities to pursue dissidents globally.

Human rights advocates and members of diaspora communities from Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and mainland China living abroad are likely to face the immediate impact of this expanded legal jurisdiction. Transnational repression by Beijing has been escalating in recent years, with documented instances including bounties on exiled pro-democracy activists, physical assaults by Chinese diplomats against protesters abroad, and coordinated harassment campaigns targeting Hong Kong dissidents. In London, two employees of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office were recently sentenced for orchestrating surveillance and intimidation efforts against exiled activists.

One human rights activist based in the United Kingdom, who co-founded a group monitoring Hong Kong's political situation, has reported receiving multiple threatening letters at his home, as well as instances of surveillance, including being photographed without consent. He was also among the first Westerners denied entry into Hong Kong in 2017 and later threatened with prosecution under Hong Kong’s national security law—specifically named in the trial of prominent Hong Kong media figure Jimmy Lai.

The activist emphasized that although critical of China’s policies, his advocacy is rooted in a commitment to freedom and human rights rather than any intent to undermine ethnic unity, a stance that the new law could criminalize. He called on democratic governments, including the United Kingdom, to recognize the law’s implications and to resist Beijing’s expanding efforts to stifle dissent internationally.

Concerns extend beyond diaspora communities to Taiwan, which the new law is widely interpreted to target. Beijing’s increased aggression toward the island, a robust democracy and a global leader in semiconductor production, is seen as a primary focus of the legislation’s provisions. Experts warn that the law could accelerate efforts at forced assimilation and suppression of ethnic minorities and democracy advocates across the region.

In London, scrutiny is also growing over China’s newly acquired embassy in the historic former Royal Mint building near the Tower of London. Plans for the site include basement areas whose purpose has raised speculation about potential use for detaining dissidents, a notion currently under judicial review. Critics suggest that the new law provides a legal basis Beijing could cite for extraterritorial detention or intimidation.

The implementation of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law marks a significant intensification of Beijing’s legal and extralegal measures against perceived internal and external threats. Observers stress the importance for democracies worldwide to respond firmly to uphold human rights standards and protect their citizens from the widening scope of China’s transnational repression.