What changed

B100216/2026

European Parliament resolution on the new Chinese law on ‘ethnic unity and progress’ and the intensified suppression of ethnic identities

European Parliament resolution on new Chinese law on ‘ethnic unity and progress’ and the intensified suppression of ethnic identities

(2026/2703(RSP))

– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

✦ Replaces the preamble with new recitals A to D, adding references to international law and EU-China relations, and updates the description of the Chinese law.

whereas on 12 March 2026 the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) adopted the Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, which mandates ideological conformity centred on loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), leading to intensified, institutionalized repression and assimilation against ethnic minority identities, including Tibetans, Hui, Uyghurs, Manchus and Mongolians;

A. whereas protection of national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities is anchored in customary international law, as reflected in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities; whereas all states are required to uphold these standards;

whereas this law legalises the intensification and the institutionalisation of the repression against Tibetan identity, thereby achieving Xi Jinping’s priority to fully sinicize the Tibetan culture;

B. whereas on 12 March 2026, China’s National People’s Congress adopted the Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, which further integrates state ideology and prioritises Mandarin in education, public life and media, and intensifies institutionalised repression and assimilation of ethnic minority identities, including Tibetans, Hui, Uyghurs, Manchus and Mongolians; whereas this law departs significantly from China’s 1984 Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law;

whereas the law mandates the integration of state ideology across all aspects of social life, thereby putting religious practices increasingly subject to political reinterpretation and restrictions;

C. whereas the law’s extraterritorial reach allows for the prosecution of individuals abroad deemed to undermine China’s ‘ethnic unity’;

whereas vague and overbroad provisions prohibiting acts deemed to “damage ethnic unity” risk criminalising peaceful expression, dissent, and advocacy for minority rights;

D. whereas the deterioration of China’s human rights situation has put a strain on its relations with the EU; whereas respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law should be central to the EU’s relations with China;

whereas the law’s extraterritorial reach allows for the prosecution of individuals abroad deemed to undermine “ethnic unity”;

1. Strongly condemns China’s repressive assimilation policies and consequent violations of universal human rights, including in Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia;

whereas the degradation of the human rights situation in China has put a strain on the relation with the EU and decisively contributed to making the rivalry dimension of the relation more prominent;

2. Expresses grave concern over the adopted Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, which openly promotes assimilation policies and restricts the cultural, religious and linguistic freedoms of various groups within China and beyond;

Strongly condemns the repressive assimilation policies throughout the PRC and consequent violations of universal human rights, including in Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia;

3. Urges China to repeal this law, thereby upholding its obligations under international law regarding non-discrimination, and the protection and promotion of ethnic and religious minorities;

Expresses grave concern over the ‘Ethnic Unity and Progress’ law, a legislative framework designed to legitimise repression, forced assimilation, and violations of freedom of expression, religion, and minority rights; urges the PRC to repeal this law and immediately cease all discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities;

4. Calls on the Council to activate the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against officials and entities responsible for conceiving and implementing this law;

Demands that the EU impose sanctions on officials and entities responsible for human rights violations in Tibet; stresses that since the introduction of sanctions for the violations in Xinjiang in 2021, the overall human rights situation has not improved and recalls Parliament’s requests for additional measures;

5. Deplores the law’s extraterritorial provisions, constituting transnational repression; urges all EU Member States to suspend extradition treaties with China to protect persecuted individuals residing in the EU from the risks of transnational repression under this law;

Urges all EU Member States to suspend extradition treaties with the PRC to avoid exposing persecuted individuals residing in the EU to risks of transnational repression under this law;

6. Strongly rejects Chinese authorities’ attempts to interfere in the recognition and education of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leaders; stresses that the succession of the Dalai Lama is a purely religious matter, which must be determined exclusively in accordance with Tibetan Buddhist traditions;

Strongly condemns the continued persecution of Tibetan religious and cultural leaders, including the cultural and linguistic assimilation of children in state-run residential schools; firmly opposes any attempt by the PRC to interfere in the selection of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama;

7. Calls for the immediate release of China’s political prisoners, including Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche, Palden Yeshi, Sakharov Prize laureate Ilham Tohti, the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and Mongolian activist Hada; calls on the European External Action Service, the Commission and the Member States to continue raising these cases with China;

8. Calls on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to issue an updated situational report on China, specifically addressing the 2026 law;

9. Considers that the introduction and enforcement of this law will lead to severe consequences for EU-China relations;

✦ Replaces the operative paragraphs with new paragraphs 1 to 8 and 10, adding calls for sanctions, release of prisoners, and a UN report, and dropping specific demands.

Urges the Commission, EEAS and the Member States to prominently address the worsening Human Rights situation in China, and all notable individual cases such as Sakharov laureate Ilham Tohti, at all levels with Chinese representatives, as well as at the UN Human Rights Council;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Member States and other EU institutions, the Chinese Government, the UN and the Central Tibetan Administration.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the HR/VP, the Member States, the Chinese authorities and government and the United Nations.