Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te condemned China's newly enacted Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law as an egregious measure, declaring that Taiwan will not tolerate Beijing's transnational repression and will strengthen cooperation with the international community.

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A promotional poster for China's new ethnic unity law, which took effect on July 1. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te lashed out at the legislation on the same day, condemning it as a draconian measure. / Courtesy of The Beijing News

According to Beijing sources well-versed in cross-strait relations on July 2, President Lai lashed out at the legislation during a central standing committee meeting of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) the previous day, stating that the Chinese government pushed through the law despite strong concerns and opposition from the international community, including the United Nations, the European Parliament, foreign governments, human rights organizations, and think tanks. He criticized the law as a draconian measure that promotes assimilation and ethnic erasure under the guise of unity.

He went on to argue that this demonstrates China is doubling down on its path toward totalitarianism and dictatorship. He claimed that it runs counter to global trends while exposing the fundamental differences between democratic Taiwan and authoritarian China. He also emphasized that the impact of the law would not be confined within China's borders, claiming that Beijing intends to use it as a basis to expand extraterritorial jurisdiction and intensify transnational repression, meaning governments, public officials, lawmakers, businesses, organizations, and individuals worldwide could all become targets of unjust sanctions and pressure.

Asserting that China has already carried out more than 110 cases of transnational repression against Taiwan, he added that Beijing will likely expand the scope of application moving forward to foster an atmosphere of fear and coerce the Taiwanese people into submission under its authoritarian system. Furthermore, President Lai asserted that Taiwan will never accept nor stand by and watch the Chinese Communist Party's attempts to expand its "Red Scare" and united front infiltration into Taiwanese society.

President Lai also expressed his commitment to establishing countermeasures, stating that the government will closely monitor related developments and set up early warning systems and response plans to protect the citizens and the nation. In addition, he urged Taiwanese citizens to be exceptionally mindful of potential risks during cross-strait exchanges, business operations, and studies in China, emphasizing the need to transcend party lines and factions to work with the government in safeguarding public safety and preventing a "democratic Taiwan" from turning into a "China's Taiwan."

The Ethnic Unity Law, which passed the National People's Congress in March and took effect on this day, aims to strengthen the sense of community and national integration among all Chinese people, including the Han majority and 55 ethnic minorities. However, it fails to specify the exact scope of actions that constitute "undermining ethnic unity," fueling concerns outside China that the law could be enforced arbitrarily.

Experts also point out that foreigners could fall under China's extraterritorial jurisdiction while visiting the country or even transitioning through third countries. In short, it implies that individuals both inside and outside China must exercise extreme caution in their actions to avoid falling victim to unforeseen legal repercussions.

                                                                                                           Hong Soon-do