China's pursuit of a unified national identity through the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion legislation has sparked fears among minority groups and global allies alike. This law, approved in March by China's National People's Congress, mandates Mandarin as the language of instruction and official communication, and provides a legal basis for prosecuting parents who instill what the law deems as "detrimental" views in their children. The law's focus on assimilating minorities into the culture of the majority Han Chinese is seen as a tool to suppress dissent and minorities, with evidence suggesting China is using advanced AI to predict and target potential critics. The law's overseas provision, which allows Beijing to target people outside China, has raised concerns in Taiwan, India, and other parts of the world. The case of secret "police stations" in foreign countries, operated by Chinese nationals on behalf of the government, further highlights China's aggressive efforts to monitor and control its citizens abroad. China's development of predictive behavior surveillance technology, which aims to identify potential dissidents, raises concerns about the potential misuse of personal data and the erosion of individual freedoms. The new law, enforced using AI-enabled technologies, will make the lives of Chinese dissidents and minorities more difficult, serving as a deterrent by exerting psychological pressure on them. The law's requirement for parents to educate their children to love the Chinese Communist Party, with loyalty as non-negotiable, further underscores the regime's commitment to maintaining control and suppressing dissent. While the US and other powers are also harvesting data and conducting predictive surveillance, China's efforts are on a different scale and with greater vigour, raising concerns about the potential for abuse and the erosion of individual freedoms.
