Bipartisan Resolution Targets China’s New Law

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is taking aim at a controversial new Chinese law that critics say will dramatically expand the Chinese Communist Party’s campaign against ethnic minorities. The legislation, called the “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress” law, is scheduled to take effect on July 1. Before that happens, four U.S. senators have introduced a resolution condemning the measure and calling on the Chinese government to repeal it.

The resolution was introduced by Senators John Curtis of Utah, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Jim Banks of Indiana, and Jeff Merkley of Oregon. The bipartisan effort argues that the law is not about promoting unity, but about giving the Chinese Communist Party another legal tool to suppress minority cultures, religions, and languages while extending its reach beyond China’s borders.

According to the resolution, the senators believe the law should be repealed because it threatens fundamental human rights and further strengthens the Chinese government’s ability to silence those it views as opponents.

What the New Law Does

According to the information released by lawmakers and advocacy organizations, China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Law codifies policies that critics say are already being used against minority populations. Rather than protecting cultural diversity, opponents argue that the law institutionalizes forced assimilation by pressuring ethnic minorities to abandon their distinct identities in favor of a single national identity defined by the Chinese Communist Party.

The law is expected to target language, culture, and religious expression in public settings. It also contains provisions that allow Chinese authorities to pursue individuals and organizations outside China that are accused of undermining what Beijing calls “ethnic unity.”

Critics argue that this gives the Chinese government another justification for transnational repression by intimidating critics living abroad and attempting to influence activities beyond China’s own borders.

The law was approved by China’s ceremonial legislature in March and is scheduled to take effect on July 1.

Minority Groups Already Under Pressure

The senators introducing the resolution argue that the new legislation represents a dangerous escalation of policies that have already affected numerous ethnic and religious communities throughout China.

The resolution highlights concerns for Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, Christians, and other minority groups. According to supporters of the resolution, these communities have already faced significant pressure through restrictions on their language, culture, and religious practices.

Senator Jacky Rosen stated, “The Chinese Communist Party continues to violate the rights of Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other minority groups in China with its horrendous attempts at cultural and religious erasure. This new law doesn’t only threaten those within China, but also those living outside its borders.”

Supporters of the resolution argue that by placing these existing practices into formal law, Beijing is strengthening its ability to continue policies of assimilation while making them a permanent part of China’s legal system.

Warnings of Cultural Erasure

Several lawmakers described the legislation as a major step toward eliminating the unique identities of China’s minority populations.

Senator John Curtis said the law “signals an escalation in Beijing’s longstanding campaign to erase the cultural identities of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, Christians, and other minorities, all while giving the CCP a pretext to intimidate critics far beyond China’s borders.”

Senator Jeff Merkley said the bipartisan resolution “rejects the PRC’s efforts both to codify coercive assimilation and cultural erasure and to expand those policies beyond its borders through transnational repression.”

Senator Jim Banks emphasized the broader human rights concerns surrounding the legislation, saying he is “proudly standing with my colleagues in condemning the abuses of the CCP and standing up for human rights.”

Taken together, the senators argue that the legislation represents far more than a domestic policy. They contend that it creates a legal framework for expanding repression both inside and outside China.

Growing International Opposition

The Senate resolution is part of a broader international response to the new law.

According to the International Campaign for Tibet, opposition has grown ahead of the law’s July 1 implementation. The organization says the legislation codifies the forced assimilation of Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other minority ethnic and faith communities while expanding the Chinese Communist Party’s ability to carry out transnational repression.

Tencho Gyatso, President of the International Campaign for Tibet, welcomed the bipartisan action by Congress.

“We welcome the bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress and thank the lawmakers for taking decisive actions to oppose China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Law,” Gyatso said. “These measures reflect growing international recognition of the grave implications of this repressive new law that is designed to institutionalize the forced assimilation of Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other non-Chinese peoples under Communist Party rule.”

She also urged the U.S. State Department to push for repeal of the legislation, calling it “this dangerous new law that threatens to erase the Tibetan people’s distinct identity and culture.”

Additional Congressional Action

The Senate resolution is only one part of a larger bipartisan effort in Congress.

Senators Lindsey Graham and Sheldon Whitehouse sent a letter to Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng expressing what they described as grave concern over the law and urging China to rescind or significantly revise it.

Their letter stated, “We are deeply troubled by the codification of the CCP’s longstanding practices to extinguish religious freedom, including restrictions on worship, forced ideological instruction, and pressure on communities to abandon or dilute their faith traditions. These practices affect Tibetan Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and many others under the guise of combatting extremism and or preventing separatism.”

Meanwhile, members of the House of Representatives also urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to formally condemn the law. Their letter argues that the legislation “codifies and expands the Chinese Communist Party’s campaign of forced assimilation against Tibetans, Uyghurs, Southern Mongolians, and other non-Han Chinese communities” and asks the State Department to condemn it “as a tool of forced assimilation, ideological control, and transnational repression.”

A Strong Bipartisan Message

Supporters of the Senate resolution argue that China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Law represents a significant escalation in the Chinese Communist Party’s longstanding policies toward minority populations. They contend that the law transforms practices critics have already condemned into formal legal authority while creating new mechanisms that could be used to intimidate critics beyond China’s borders.

With the law now scheduled to take effect on July 1, the bipartisan resolution sends a clear message that these senators believe the international community should not remain silent. By calling for repeal of the legislation and condemning what they describe as forced assimilation, cultural erasure, and transnational repression, they argue that China’s treatment of ethnic minorities deserves continued international scrutiny rather than acceptance.