China's Ethnic Unity Law Takes Effect Amid Rights Outcry

China has enacted a sweeping ethnic unity law that critics say is designed to erase distinct cultural and linguistic identities among Uyghurs, Tibetans, and other minorities by enforcing a singular 'shared' national identity. The law also grants Beijing new tools to pursue dissidents living abroad, drawing condemnation from Taiwan, the United Nations, and human rights organisations. Mandarin is being strengthened as the compulsory official language under the legislation's core provisions.