Ethnic Unity Law Targets Taiwan?

Map of Taiwan with red pin and earthquake icon — Photo: JoaoCachapa / Shutterstock

Taiwan’s president stood before his own party and declared the island must never become “China’s Taiwan” — and warned that Beijing is now using a new law to wage legal warfare across borders.

Story Snapshot

President Lai Ching-te told his Democratic Progressive Party on July 19 that Taiwan will not accept Beijing’s “red terror” or attempts to pull the island into China.
Lai pointed to China’s new Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress as a tool Beijing could use to take action against people outside its borders.
China fired back, calling Lai’s sovereignty claims “heresy” and insisting Taiwan has always been and will always be part of China.
The standoff is the latest chapter in a long cycle of escalating words, military drills, and legal moves between Beijing and Taipei.

Lai Draws a Hard Line at Party Convention

Speaking at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) national convention on July 19, President Lai Ching-te told members the island faces a clear choice. “We will not accept the reach of ‘red terror’ or united front infiltration into Taiwanese society,” he said. Lai called on every member of his party to stand firm against what he described as Beijing’s effort to absorb Taiwan. He warned that democratic Taiwan must never be turned into what he called “China’s Taiwan.”

Lai has been consistent on this point since taking office in January 2024. His position rests on Taiwan’s own constitution. He has said the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China “are not subordinate to each other” — a direct rejection of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is a Chinese province. Lai describes himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence,” continuing the approach of his predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen.

China’s New Law Raises the Stakes

The trigger for Lai’s sharpest language was China’s Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress. Taiwan’s government says Beijing could use this law to justify legal action against individuals outside China’s borders — including Taiwanese citizens. Critics call this “legal warfare,” a strategy that pairs written law with military pressure and diplomatic isolation to tighten Beijing’s grip on Taiwan without firing a shot.

China’s political warfare against Taiwan goes well beyond troop movements and fly-bys. It includes efforts to divide Taiwanese society, weaken public trust in the government, and chip away at the island’s will to resist. Lai’s national security team has responded by rolling out two action plans: one focused on defending sovereignty through a broad democratic defense strategy, and another aimed at building up Taiwan’s military strength.

Beijing Pushes Back Hard

China’s response has been swift and blunt. After Lai gave a sovereignty speech in June 2025, Beijing called him “heretical,” confrontational, and provocative. Chinese officials repeat the same core message every time: Taiwan is part of China, always has been, and always will be. State media and government spokespeople say no statement from Taipei can change that legal or historical fact.

The pattern here is not new. Since 2016, DPP leaders have pushed back against Beijing’s claims, and Beijing has responded with military exercises, trade pressure, and diplomatic moves to shrink Taiwan’s international space. President Xi Jinping said in a New Year’s address that “reunification” with Taiwan is “unstoppable.” Meanwhile, President Trump has discussed Taiwan directly with Xi, noting that China does not want a fight over independence because it would mean a “very strong confrontation.” Where the United States ultimately lands on this dispute remains one of the biggest open questions in global security today.