Can China target critics abroad with its new 'ethnic unity' law?

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Critics of the Chinese government who live abroad fear what the new law means for them By Laura Bicker China correspondent Published 23 minutes ago Zhang Yadi, 23, also known as Tara, is supposed to be studying at a prestigious university in the UK. Instead she is believed to be in detention in China. In one of her last posts on the social media platform "X", she wished the Dalai Lama a happy 90th birthday. She had also helped edit an online Chinese language platform promoting Tibetan rights while studying in France. Her words of support for Tibetans, posted while abroad, are believed to have put her in prison. Beijing views the exiled spiritual leader as a separatist and what it calls the Tibet Autonomous Region, which it annexed in 1950, as an integral part of China. Tara was reportedly arrested in Shangri-La in Yunnan province in July last year while on a visit to China, and is thought to be facing charges of "inciting others to split the country and undermine national unity." Her story is a grave lesson in China's tolerance for dissent, or what it sees as separatism, as a new law takes effect: one that could even give the government the right to target people outside of its own borders. Beijing has long been accused of intimidating dissidents overseas, from pressuring Uyghur activists to tracking down government critics in exile to offering bounties for Hong Kong's pro-democracy campaigners. But the "Ethnic Unity Law", which comes into effect on Wednesday, will now give the Chinese government legal cover for its actions. This comes at a time when Beijing is polishing its image abroad as it cements its role as a global power. It is throwing open its doors to foreign leaders and tourists. Several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have walked the red carpet outside the Great Hall of the People to shake hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Loosened visa restrictions and online campaigns encourage people from as many as 77 countries, including most of Europe, to visit China. Social media posts by influencers travelling across the country, including to tightly-controlled regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, focus on the country's diverse geography and beauty. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Dalai Lama attending a prayer in July 2025 in Dharamsala, India This new law may help Xi control China's critics abroad, whose accounts and narratives challenge Beijing, and its own reputation. But it also has the potential to damage it. Members of the European Parliament have already written warning member states to consider suspending extradition treaties with China and that if this law targeted European citizens, it could "lead to severe consequences for EU-China relations." Why are critics abroad worried? The law on ethnic unity aims to create what it describes as "unity," "social harmony" and a "shared" national identity among the country's 56 ethnic gr