China passed the “Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law” on March 12 this year, which will be implemented on July 1. Among its provisions is that organizations and individuals outside China, who engage in acts against China that undermine ethnic unity and progress or create ethnic division, will be held legally responsible in accordance with the law. Some local Japanese legislators have said that criticizing China’s policies on ethnic minorities or religions while in Japan might also be considered illegal by China.
The law contains 7 chapters and 65 articles, covering areas such as education, language, publishing, the internet, business activities, and religion, and also involves Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese.
The law states that China upholds and improves the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and maintains national unity and ethnic solidarity.
The law further specifies that those who organize, plan, or carry out violent terrorist activities, ethnic separatist activities, or religious extremist activities, and whose actions constitute a crime, will be held criminally responsible in accordance with the law. Inciting or funding the aforementioned acts and committing a crime will also be criminally prosecuted by law.
Article 63 of the law states: “Organizations and individuals outside the People’s Republic of China who undermine ethnic unity and progress or create ethnic division against the People’s Republic of China shall be held legally responsible in accordance with the law.”