China Calls Western Criticism a "Malicious Smear" as Controversial Ethnic Law Takes Effect

.

Beijing Hits Back

China's Foreign Ministry on Friday dismissed criticism from the United States and the European Union over its new ethnic unity law, calling the concerns a "malicious smear" and an act of interference in China's internal affairs. Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said strengthening the rule of law helps protect the rights of all ethnic groups and improves unity among them.

Guo accused unnamed Western countries of clinging to "ideological bias" and ignoring China's record on economic development and human rights. He said these countries were fabricating information to damage China's ethnic policies and called on them to "respect the basic facts" and "stop hyping up so-called ethnic issues."

The response follows reporting by udumbara.net on the EU and US alarm over the law, which took effect on July 1, 2026, and includes a clause allowing Beijing to pursue legal action against individuals and organizations outside its territory.

.

Taiwan: "Almost Like an Imperial Edict"

The sharpest reaction came from Taipei. Chiu Chui-cheng, head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, told a Taiwanese radio station on Friday that the law's reach is "global and almost boundless." He warned Taiwanese citizens to be cautious when travelling to countries with close ties to Beijing, naming Belarus and Cambodia as places where they could face the risk of extradition to China.

Chiu described the law in blunt terms: "It is almost like an imperial edict: its long-arm jurisdiction seems to reach everywhere, as if the whole world must obey it." Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's claim of sovereignty over the island, and China's legal system holds no actual jurisdiction there.

Taiwan's Cabinet has gone further than just words. According to the Taipei Times, Premier Cho Jung-tai has ordered the creation of a cross-agency task force to coordinate the government's response, pulling in the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, and the Mainland Affairs Council. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been tasked with deepening cooperation with allied democracies to jointly counter Beijing's actions. Taiwanese officials describe the legislation as combining three tactics: "unification by law," "forced unification," and "transnational repression."

.

A Warning Wrapped in Reassurance

Not everyone in Beijing struck the same tone. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Thursday there was "no need for concern" for Taiwanese visiting the mainland. But she paired that reassurance with a warning: anyone acting to "split the nation" or undermine ethnic unity in pursuit of Taiwanese independence would "certainly be punished in accordance with the law."

That combination — a soothing message publicly, paired with a legal threat — mirrors a pattern human rights groups have long documented in Beijing's approach to overseas dissent. It also lines up with concerns raised earlier by Taiwan's own Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has warned that "individuals from any country whose words or actions are not acceptable to China may become targets of the law."

.

Background: A Law Built for Reach, Not Just Rule

The ethnic unity law was passed by China's National People's Congress in March 2026. It is officially framed as an effort to build a "shared" national identity among the country's 55 recognized ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs. Both communities have a long history of resisting Beijing's rule, including through protest.

As previously reported, the law's most controversial provision allows Beijing to pursue legal accountability against individuals and groups anywhere in the world if their actions are deemed to undermine "ethnic unity and progress" or to incite "ethnic separatism." Human rights researchers have already labeled the clause an instrument of transnational repression, pointing to China's documented history of misusing Interpol's "red notice" system to pressure other governments into detaining people Beijing wants for political reasons rather than genuine crimes.

.

What Happens Next

Beijing has made clear it has no intention of softening its position. Chinese officials have called the extraterritorial clause "legitimate, lawful, necessary, and feasible," rejecting Western characterizations outright. For Taiwan, the practical response is now shifting from statements to institutions — a dedicated task force, expanded diplomatic coordination, and, according to Taiwanese officials, plans to issue travel advisories once the law's real-world impact becomes clearer.

For Uyghurs, Tibetans, Falun Gong practitioners, and Taiwanese citizens abroad, the confrontation between Beijing and Western governments does not change the underlying risk the law was designed to create. What it does confirm is that neither side is backing down — and that the law's true test will come the first time Beijing tries to enforce it against someone standing on foreign soil.

.

Sources

1. Reuters – China dismisses US, EU criticism of new ethnic law as 'malicious smear': https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-dismisses-us-eu-criticism-new-ethnic-law-malicious-smear-2026-07-03/
2. Taipei Times – Cabinet plans coordinated response to China's 'ethnic unity' law: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/02/2003860125
3. Taipei Times – Government to step up protections as China's unity law takes effect: Cho: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/07/01/2003860066
4. Al Jazeera – What's China's new ethnic unity law, and what does it mean for minorities?: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/2/whats-chinas-new-ethnic-unity-law-and-what-does-it-mean-for-minorities

.