U.S. Senators introduced a resolution in the Senate on June 24, 2026, condemning the People's Republic of China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, a measure lawmakers say institutionalizes cultural erasure and threatens the safety of ethnic minorities both within China and in the United States.
Details of the Senate resolution
The resolution, officially designated as S. Res. 791, was submitted by Senator Rosen alongside Senators John Curtis, Jeff Merkley, and Banks. According to a Senate document, the resolution seeks to condemn the law for its role in institutionalizing coercive assimilation, cultural erasure, and ideological control over various ethnic and religious communities.
Impact on specific ethnic groups
The legislation specifically addresses the impact of the law on Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, Hui Muslims, and Christians. The senators' proposal calls on the Chinese government to end abuses and campaigns of transnational repression that the resolution claims undermine United States sovereignty and threaten the freedoms of people residing in the U.S.
Concerns regarding Sinicization and enforcement
A primary concern cited in the resolution is the upcoming entry into force of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law on July 1, 2026. The Senate document asserts that this law codifies the Chinese Communist Party's campaign of "Sinicization," which requires religious institutions, schools, media, and cultural organizations to align their activities with Party-mandated ideology.
Criminalization and extraterritorial legal reach
The resolution notes that the law criminalizes any expression deemed to undermine ethnic unity or create ethnic division. Furthermore, the Senate highlights that the law contains extraterritorial provisions. These provisions authorize Chinese authorities to pursue legal responsibility for individuals and organizations outside of China, including United States citizens who challenge official Chinese historical narratives or undermine what the state defines as ethnic unity.
Historical context of human rights abuses
The resolution provides background on existing human rights concerns in the region, noting that on January 19, 2021, the United States Department of State determined that China was committing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim Turkic peoples in Xinjiang. The document cites evidence of forced labor, forced sterilization, arbitrary detention, and the restriction of religious practices.
Expansion of state authority and surveillance
Lawmakers also pointed to the history of repressive techniques used by Chinese Communist Party member Chen Quanguo, who first utilized systematic surveillance, intimidation, and controls on cultural identity in Tibet before expanding those methods into Xinjiang. The resolution further expresses concern that the new law expands state authority over religious institutions, specifically threatening the ability of Tibetan Buddhist leaders to manage matters of tradition, such as the succession of the Dalai Lama.
The Senate resolution aligns with recent international warnings regarding China's legislative shifts. The document references a March 16, 2026, warning from United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who stated that the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law risks entrenching assimilationist policies and limiting the use of languages other than Mandarin.
Additionally, the resolution notes that on April 30, 2026, the European Parliament adopted its own resolution condemning the law and warning of grave risks to the cultural preservation of affected groups. The Senate text also highlights concerns from officials in Taiwan, who warned that the law could be used to assert extraterritorial jurisdiction over Taiwanese individuals by labeling expressions of Taiwanese identity or self-governance as violations of Chinese law.
In addition to the new legislation, the resolution reaffirms the United States' long-standing commitment to defending religious freedom and minority rights through established measures, including the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, and the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020.
The resolution concludes by calling for an end to illegal overseas police operations and the harassment of dissidents, characterizing the combination of the new law and transnational repression as a growing threat to the United States and its allies.
