China’s recent enactment of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law has sparked concerns from a Taiwanese security official, who warns that this could broaden Beijing’s reach in targeting critics residing overseas. The law, now in effect, mandates all Chinese nationals to uphold national unity and permits legal proceedings against anyone accused of fostering division, regardless of their location.

In light of these developments, Taiwan has raised alarms over China’s methods of exerting transnational repression. These include penalizing anti-government expression abroad, threatening critics by targeting their families, leveraging international legal frameworks like Interpol red notices to track dissidents, branding backers of democratic movements as extremists, and executing kidnappings or enforced returns.

The official also claimed that China is running police stations in other countries, aiming to surveil and exert pressure on its detractors, a move that raises significant concerns about breaches of international law and diplomatic protocols.

In response, Taiwan is taking proactive steps to mitigate these threats. The government is working to enhance public awareness about the potential risks associated with traveling to China and is bolstering its initiatives to thwart activities that could enable foreign interference.