Tokyo, April 4 (NationPress) The enactment of China's 'Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress' may carry extensive regional consequences, potentially broadening the ideological reach of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) into neighboring nations and beyond, according to a report released on Saturday.

In an article for 'Japan Forward', Tsewang Gylapo Arya, the Representative of the Dalai Lama's Liaison Office for Japan and East Asia, urged the global community to reject the “harmful and contemptuous” legislation, asserting that it transcends mere minority rights issues and should not be dismissed as China's internal matter.

Referencing a report from the International Campaign for Tibet (ITC), he stated, "The law serves as a legal mechanism for the CCP to create and impose a uniform national identity and a singular concept of China, molded by CCP's authoritarian principles."

Arya emphasized that Beijing is promoting assimilation under the pretense of unity, compelling not just minority groups but also individuals in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau to demonstrate patriotism and allegiance.

He clarified that this loyalty is expected not towards the nation, but towards the CCP as the ultimate governing authority.

“The law comprises seven chapters with a total of sixty-five articles. Despite its rhetoric on 'ethnic unity', the evident display of Han Chinese superiority is glaring, with terms like ‘Chinese national’ and ‘Chinese nation' appearing nearly eighty times throughout the document. If this ethnic law is genuinely aimed at fostering a robust sense of the Chinese national community, what does it offer to other nationalities and ethnic groups? The law solely focuses on the unity of Chinese nationals and neglects the interests of minority groups within the region,” the official elaborated.

Arya pointed out that the legislation, passed by China’s National People's Congress (NPC) on March 12, violates both the Chinese Constitution and the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law.

He further indicated that this new law seeks to override existing legal frameworks and represents a conscious effort to “reclassify and designate existing minority groups as ethnic minorities,” elevating the status of the Chinese majority as the predominant group.

“This contravenes Article 4 of the Constitution and Articles 21, 37, and 49 of the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law, which safeguard the preservation and enhancement of minority languages, religions, and cultures. The NPC must first amend the Constitution and the Regional Autonomy Law before enforcing this new legislation,” the official asserted.

Condemning this action, Arya stated, “What China has failed to accomplish through force, suppression, and intimidation over the years, it is now attempting to achieve by legitimizing its repressions through law.”