Now, that push has been codified into a sweeping new law that reaches into classrooms, neighborhoods and homes – and gives Beijing the right to target people outside of its borders that it believes violate its rules. The statute, officially known as the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, came into effect on July 1. It bans acts that “undermine ethnic unity or create ethnic division” among China’s 56 officially recognized ethnicities, which include a Han Chinese majority that makes up over 90% of the country’s 1.4 billion people.
lørdag 4. juli 2026
China tells its ethnic minorities to integrate or face consequences with sweeping new unity law
For years, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pushed ethnic minority groups like Tibetans and Uyghurs to adopt an identity rooted in Chinese nationality and allegiance to the ruling Communist Party.
Now, that push has been codified into a sweeping new law that reaches into classrooms, neighborhoods and homes – and gives Beijing the right to target people outside of its borders that it believes violate its rules. The statute, officially known as the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, came into effect on July 1. It bans acts that “undermine ethnic unity or create ethnic division” among China’s 56 officially recognized ethnicities, which include a Han Chinese majority that makes up over 90% of the country’s 1.4 billion people.
Now, that push has been codified into a sweeping new law that reaches into classrooms, neighborhoods and homes – and gives Beijing the right to target people outside of its borders that it believes violate its rules. The statute, officially known as the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, came into effect on July 1. It bans acts that “undermine ethnic unity or create ethnic division” among China’s 56 officially recognized ethnicities, which include a Han Chinese majority that makes up over 90% of the country’s 1.4 billion people.
‘This Land is My Land’ – Remembering Lhasang Tsering
It was late in the night of June 14, 1988, in Geneva. Lhasang Tsering and I had checked into a cheap hotel room. All the while, I was wondering how I should justify giving Lhasang Tsering, the president of TYC, a copy of the Strasbourg Declaration, which the Dalai Lama was due to announce the following day in Strasbourg.
When I look back on that night and consider the extent to which Lhasang Tsering would shape the debate over Tibet’s future in the years that followed—a debate that shook the Tibetan exile community—I am struck by how quietly it all began.
In the preceding weeks, my task as a volunteer at the Tibet Office had been to enter corrections for the final printed version of the Strasbourg Declaration. And there were quite a few corrections. Kelsang Gyaltsen, then the Dalai Lama’s representative in Switzerland, had been charged with preparing the print of the declaration together with a small offset printing shop near the office, at Waffenplatz in Zurich. Before leaving for Geneva, I took a copy for myself. I can still vividly remember the elegant printing in pastel yellow. Kelsang Gyaltsen had chosen glossy paper.
When I look back on that night and consider the extent to which Lhasang Tsering would shape the debate over Tibet’s future in the years that followed—a debate that shook the Tibetan exile community—I am struck by how quietly it all began.
In the preceding weeks, my task as a volunteer at the Tibet Office had been to enter corrections for the final printed version of the Strasbourg Declaration. And there were quite a few corrections. Kelsang Gyaltsen, then the Dalai Lama’s representative in Switzerland, had been charged with preparing the print of the declaration together with a small offset printing shop near the office, at Waffenplatz in Zurich. Before leaving for Geneva, I took a copy for myself. I can still vividly remember the elegant printing in pastel yellow. Kelsang Gyaltsen had chosen glossy paper.
Erasing Uyghur, Tibetan and Mongolian Languages and Cultures and Mandarin Supremacy
China’s newly enacted Ethnic Unity and Progress Law deals a fresh blow to linguistic and cultural diversity in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia, formalising the supremacy of Mandarin over Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian languages in education and public life.
China’s National People’s Congress passed the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress on 12 March 2026, with the legislation set to take effect on 01 July 2026. It legally embeds Xi Jinping’s assimilationist agenda, folding the country’s 56 ethnic groups into a single Party-defined “Chinese nation,” mandating Mandarin as the standard language nationwide, and reaching beyond China’s borders to assert authority over diaspora critics.
The law builds on a troubling trajectory already visible over the past decade. In Inner Mongolia, Beijing has progressively replaced Mongolian-language instruction with Mandarin-medium education, triggering widespread protests in 2020 that were swiftly suppressed.
China’s National People’s Congress passed the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress on 12 March 2026, with the legislation set to take effect on 01 July 2026. It legally embeds Xi Jinping’s assimilationist agenda, folding the country’s 56 ethnic groups into a single Party-defined “Chinese nation,” mandating Mandarin as the standard language nationwide, and reaching beyond China’s borders to assert authority over diaspora critics.
The law builds on a troubling trajectory already visible over the past decade. In Inner Mongolia, Beijing has progressively replaced Mongolian-language instruction with Mandarin-medium education, triggering widespread protests in 2020 that were swiftly suppressed.
Tibetan self-immolates before UN Headquarters as China unleashed its draconian ethnic assimilation law
Lobsang Palden, known by his activist name of Lobga Rangzen, has succumbed to his injuries a little over an hour after he staged a self-immolation protest in front of the UN Headquarters in New York city on Jul 2 evening in a scathing condemnation of Chinese rule in Tibet. The incident came a day after China brought into force its ethnic assimilation law under the misleading title of “Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law”, prompting worldwide protests by Tibetans and others and condemnations from the democratic world.
The most extreme form of political protest was meant to draw global attention to China’s ongoing policies in Tibet. The incident, which triggered a massive lockdown of the diplomatic compound, underscores the enduring desperation of the Tibetan diaspora, noted streamlinefeed.co.ke Jul 3.
The most extreme form of political protest was meant to draw global attention to China’s ongoing policies in Tibet. The incident, which triggered a massive lockdown of the diplomatic compound, underscores the enduring desperation of the Tibetan diaspora, noted streamlinefeed.co.ke Jul 3.
Ethnic Unity: What Is China’s New Law?
A sweeping new Chinese law aimed at strengthening “ethnic unity” is drawing sharp criticism for accelerating the assimilation of ethnic minorities—most notably through expanded Mandarin-language requirements imposed on young children.
China officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups. While Han Chinese make up more than 90 percent of the country's population, many minority communities have historically maintained varying degrees of autonomy in education, including the use of native languages in schools and cultural instruction.
The Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, which entered effect Wednesday, elevates Mandarin as the primary language of education and public life and is part of President Xi Jinping's broader push to "Sinicize" ethnic minorities in pursuit of a Chinese national identity.
China officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups. While Han Chinese make up more than 90 percent of the country's population, many minority communities have historically maintained varying degrees of autonomy in education, including the use of native languages in schools and cultural instruction.
The Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, which entered effect Wednesday, elevates Mandarin as the primary language of education and public life and is part of President Xi Jinping's broader push to "Sinicize" ethnic minorities in pursuit of a Chinese national identity.
Chinese National Charged for Trafficking Women from Asia in Boston Sex Ring
A Chinese national was arrested Wednesday on federal charges alleging she trafficked women from Asia to work in a prostitution ring operating out of apartments in Boston.
The suspect, Zengzeng Liu, 40, also known as "Bella," was indicted June 24 by a federal grand jury in Massachusetts on four counts of recruiting or persuading individuals to travel to engage in prostitution and three counts of using interstate or foreign communications to operate a racketeering enterprise, according to an affidavit filed Wednesday by an FBI task force member. The operation was uncovered in late 2025 after an FBI task force began investigating advertisements posted on a website known for facilitating prostitution.
The suspect, Zengzeng Liu, 40, also known as "Bella," was indicted June 24 by a federal grand jury in Massachusetts on four counts of recruiting or persuading individuals to travel to engage in prostitution and three counts of using interstate or foreign communications to operate a racketeering enterprise, according to an affidavit filed Wednesday by an FBI task force member. The operation was uncovered in late 2025 after an FBI task force began investigating advertisements posted on a website known for facilitating prostitution.
From $71 Million to $39 Trillion—U.S. National Debt’s 250-Year Climb
America’s national debt has always reflected the trajectory of the nation itself—one rising as the other, at least economically, wavers—but rarely has that story been as stark as it is today. From a mere $71 million in the country’s early days to now more than $39 trillion on the eve of its semiquincentennial, the scale of U.S. borrowing has expanded exponentially and to a level almost beyond comprehension over two and a half centuries.
This 55,000-percent rise has been punctuated by wars, financial collapses and global shocks, before settling into periods of relative stability, only to climb again. And the history of U.S. debt displays a familiar pattern: spending in times of need and expansion, enabled by the country’s economic strength and its increasingly central position in the global financial system.
This 55,000-percent rise has been punctuated by wars, financial collapses and global shocks, before settling into periods of relative stability, only to climb again. And the history of U.S. debt displays a familiar pattern: spending in times of need and expansion, enabled by the country’s economic strength and its increasingly central position in the global financial system.
Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, seized by Chinese authorities in 2015, dies in Taiwan at 70
Lam Wing-kee, a former Hong Kong bookseller who became a symbol of resistance to Beijing’s crackdown on speech freedom after he was seized by Chinese authorities in late 2015, has died in Taiwan, the island’s official Central News Agency reported, citing an unnamed source.
The news agency didn’t give a cause of death but said the 70-year-old Lam had a cancer relapse last year and was admitted to MacKay Memorial Hospital in Taipei on Tuesday. He fell into a coma on Wednesday and died Thursday evening, according to the report. Lam, who was the manager of Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong, moved to Taipei in 2019 over fears of legal troubles and reopened the bookstore under the same name in the Taiwanese capital in 2020.
The news agency didn’t give a cause of death but said the 70-year-old Lam had a cancer relapse last year and was admitted to MacKay Memorial Hospital in Taipei on Tuesday. He fell into a coma on Wednesday and died Thursday evening, according to the report. Lam, who was the manager of Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong, moved to Taipei in 2019 over fears of legal troubles and reopened the bookstore under the same name in the Taiwanese capital in 2020.
Six generals among 13 to lose China’s national parliament seats for corruption
The military remains a primary target of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive and under it six senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers have been removed from the country’s top legislative body in the latest episode. A late-night notice issued by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Jun 26 said 13 members of the legislature had been removed and one had resigned, reported the scmp.com Jun 27.
While the NPC does not weild any power, as its role is to rubber-stamp party decisions every time, it is theoretically the country’s top lawmaking body and its membership is a matter of prestige and status in the country’s ruling echelon.
There had already been indications that some of the dismissed PLA commanders were under investigation, the report noted.
While the NPC does not weild any power, as its role is to rubber-stamp party decisions every time, it is theoretically the country’s top lawmaking body and its membership is a matter of prestige and status in the country’s ruling echelon.
There had already been indications that some of the dismissed PLA commanders were under investigation, the report noted.
onsdag 1. juli 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: The Strait That Could Strangle China
“The people here have golden-brown skin, and the sunsets are very beautiful,” a Portuguese envoy reported from Malacca in 1541.
Thirty years earlier, the Portuguese had taken control of the trading city on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. From there, they could enjoy the sight of the sunsets and the sailing ships gliding past in the tropical breeze.
Today, Malacca has lost its importance as a hub of shipping in Southeast Asia. But the Strait of Malacca is busier than ever. Last year, more than 100,000 large vessels passed through the narrow passage. It becomes narrower still when ships enter the Phillips Channel near Singapore. There, the fairway is only 2.8 kilometres wide. In other words, one of the world’s most important sea lanes is, at its narrowest point, no wider than the distance from Aker Brygge to Bygdøy.
Is it any wonder that leaders in Beijing, Tokyo and other capitals worry about what might happen if the Strait of Malacca, too, were drawn into a major conflict?
Can China target critics abroad with its new 'ethnic unity' law?
Zhang Yadi, 23, also known as Tara, is supposed to be studying at a prestigious university in the UK. Instead she is believed to be in detention in China.
In one of her last posts on the social media platform "X", she wished the Dalai Lama a happy 90th birthday. She had also helped edit an online Chinese language platform promoting Tibetan rights while studying in France. Her words of support for Tibetans, posted while abroad, are believed to have put her in prison. Beijing views the exiled spiritual leader as a separatist and what it calls the Tibet Autonomous Region, which it annexed in 1950, as an integral part of China.
Tara was reportedly arrested in Shangri-La in Yunnan province in July last year while on a visit to China, and is thought to be facing charges of "inciting others to split the country and undermine national unity."
In one of her last posts on the social media platform "X", she wished the Dalai Lama a happy 90th birthday. She had also helped edit an online Chinese language platform promoting Tibetan rights while studying in France. Her words of support for Tibetans, posted while abroad, are believed to have put her in prison. Beijing views the exiled spiritual leader as a separatist and what it calls the Tibet Autonomous Region, which it annexed in 1950, as an integral part of China.
Tara was reportedly arrested in Shangri-La in Yunnan province in July last year while on a visit to China, and is thought to be facing charges of "inciting others to split the country and undermine national unity."
Xi touts Chinese wisdom and solutions as a model for developing nations
China’s leader held up his country’s rapid industrialization as a new pathway for developing nations in a speech Wednesday that projected a growing confidence both at home and on the world stage. Xi Jinping, now in his 14th year in power, noted that China achieved in a few decades what it took centuries for rich countries to do.
“We advocate the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, providing Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength for addressing major issues facing humanity,” he said at an event marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party.
China, which has long bristled at U.S. dominance of the international system, has said it doesn’t want to replace the global order but change it to better represent the interests of developing countries. Xi’s government went head-to-head with the U.S. last year and forced President Donald Trump to scale back import tariffs that he had imposed on imports from China.
“We advocate the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, providing Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength for addressing major issues facing humanity,” he said at an event marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party.
China, which has long bristled at U.S. dominance of the international system, has said it doesn’t want to replace the global order but change it to better represent the interests of developing countries. Xi’s government went head-to-head with the U.S. last year and forced President Donald Trump to scale back import tariffs that he had imposed on imports from China.
Why Kim Jong Un never talks about his mother - or her controversial bloodline
Among the many mysteries shrouding North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the secrecy around his mother stands out. In his 15 years of rule, he has never once publicly mentioned her by name.
The legitimacy of Kim's dictatorship rests heavily on his "Mount Paektu" bloodline - a lineage tied to the mythical founder of the Korean people. And in a country that prides itself on this hereditary purity, the identity of Kim's mother is not just a secret - but a threat to the regime itself.
The story of the Koreas, according to popular belief, begins on Mount Paektu - a mountain located on the China-North Korea border that is said to be the birthplace of Dangun, the mythical founder of what became Korea's first kingdom. Thousands of years later, Kim Il Sung - the founder of North Korea - reportedly used the mountain as a hideout when fighting against the Japanese. His son, Kim Jong Il, was said to be born on those same sacred slopes - despite reports indicating he was in fact most likely born in Russia - and for decades since the mountain has been used to legitimise the Kim dynasty.
The legitimacy of Kim's dictatorship rests heavily on his "Mount Paektu" bloodline - a lineage tied to the mythical founder of the Korean people. And in a country that prides itself on this hereditary purity, the identity of Kim's mother is not just a secret - but a threat to the regime itself.
The story of the Koreas, according to popular belief, begins on Mount Paektu - a mountain located on the China-North Korea border that is said to be the birthplace of Dangun, the mythical founder of what became Korea's first kingdom. Thousands of years later, Kim Il Sung - the founder of North Korea - reportedly used the mountain as a hideout when fighting against the Japanese. His son, Kim Jong Il, was said to be born on those same sacred slopes - despite reports indicating he was in fact most likely born in Russia - and for decades since the mountain has been used to legitimise the Kim dynasty.
Indian pilgrims stranded in Nepal due to China’s tight Tibet control
Visiting Tibet is not like visiting China or any other country as it is a difficult occupied territory under tight foreign control and a mere visa would not suffice to fly to it. This message was brought home to a number of Indian pilgrims who travelled to Nepal for their visit to Mount Kailash and lake Mansarovar in western Tibet’s Ngari prefecture but have remained stranded there.
While any individual can apply for a visa to travel to China, an additional special entry permit is requited to visit Tibet. This can be applied for through a travel agency registered with the Chinese government and is only given for group tours. Besides, India pilgrims can apply for visa only from the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, not anywhere else, including Kathmandu.
While any individual can apply for a visa to travel to China, an additional special entry permit is requited to visit Tibet. This can be applied for through a travel agency registered with the Chinese government and is only given for group tours. Besides, India pilgrims can apply for visa only from the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, not anywhere else, including Kathmandu.
10 Years After the South China Sea Arbitration: Will ASEAN Remain Silent?
The ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation, adopted at the 48th Summit in Cebu on May 8, 2026, referred to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) no fewer than 18 times, reaffirming the key principles of peace and stability, the peaceful settlement of disputes and compliance with UNCLOS.
Yet ASEAN has never officially recognized the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award issued by an arbitral tribunal constituted under Annex VII of UNCLOS – the very convention that ASEAN itself has repeatedly affirmed as the comprehensive legal framework governing all activities at sea.
July 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the arbitral ruling in favor of the Philippines in its case against China concerning the South China Sea. How will ASEAN respond to this important legal milestone?
Yet ASEAN has never officially recognized the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award issued by an arbitral tribunal constituted under Annex VII of UNCLOS – the very convention that ASEAN itself has repeatedly affirmed as the comprehensive legal framework governing all activities at sea.
July 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the arbitral ruling in favor of the Philippines in its case against China concerning the South China Sea. How will ASEAN respond to this important legal milestone?
Nationality dispute: What does an Indian passport prove?
For decades, Indian citizenship was rarely questioned. Most people voted, obtained passports, enrolled in welfare schemes and went about their lives without having to demonstrate that they belonged in the country in which they were born. That assumption is steadily changing.
Last week, a senior official of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian passport is primarily a travel document and should not be treated as a conclusive proof of citizenship, according to Indian media reports. Legally, that distinction is not new.
Former diplomat Veena Sikri notes that the Ministry of Home Affairs — not the MEA — has the sole authority to grant and determine citizenship. "A passport is an attribute of citizenship, but does not itself confer it," Sikri told DW.
The MEA official's reported statement comes at a time when citizenship itself has become one of India's most politically contested subjects.
Last week, a senior official of India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Indian passport is primarily a travel document and should not be treated as a conclusive proof of citizenship, according to Indian media reports. Legally, that distinction is not new.
Former diplomat Veena Sikri notes that the Ministry of Home Affairs — not the MEA — has the sole authority to grant and determine citizenship. "A passport is an attribute of citizenship, but does not itself confer it," Sikri told DW.
The MEA official's reported statement comes at a time when citizenship itself has become one of India's most politically contested subjects.
Taiwan in Time: The world’s once-most-attended elementary school turns 130
Beginning with 10 students in 1896, enrollment at Laosong Elementary School soared to a record-breaking 11,100 in 1966 before falling to fewer than 500 today.
At a time when students had to pass entrance exams to attend junior high, Laosong became a magnet school due to its high advancement rate. According to news reports, 12 buses transported students to the campus in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華) from different parts of what is today New Taipei City.
Some classrooms were packed with more than 90 students. Even the principal’s office was converted into a classroom, forcing the principal to work out of a makeshift space partitioned off in the central hall. Eight additional classrooms were set up in the assembly hall, and in some cases three students shared a single desk. The school eventually split the day into morning and afternoon shifts to accommodate the soaring enrollment.
At a time when students had to pass entrance exams to attend junior high, Laosong became a magnet school due to its high advancement rate. According to news reports, 12 buses transported students to the campus in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華) from different parts of what is today New Taipei City.
Some classrooms were packed with more than 90 students. Even the principal’s office was converted into a classroom, forcing the principal to work out of a makeshift space partitioned off in the central hall. Eight additional classrooms were set up in the assembly hall, and in some cases three students shared a single desk. The school eventually split the day into morning and afternoon shifts to accommodate the soaring enrollment.
European heat wave brings in cool cash for Asian air-conditioner makers as sales surge
As Europe sweats through record-breaking temperatures, Asian makers of air conditioners, like South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, China’s Midea and Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric, are enjoying a boom in sales.
Air conditioning is common throughout buildings, transport and homes in major cities across Asia, but it is rare in Europe and people are struggling to stay cool as searing heat claims lives, disrupts power supplies and shuts schools. Seeking respite from the sizzling weather, people and companies across Europe are snapping up portable and fixed air conditioners as some countries warn the heat wave could intensify.
Air conditioning is common throughout buildings, transport and homes in major cities across Asia, but it is rare in Europe and people are struggling to stay cool as searing heat claims lives, disrupts power supplies and shuts schools. Seeking respite from the sizzling weather, people and companies across Europe are snapping up portable and fixed air conditioners as some countries warn the heat wave could intensify.
Abonner på:
Innlegg (Atom)