MP expresses concern over China's new ethnic unity law

A member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China is concerned about China's new ethnic unity law.

ACT MP Laura McClure will be asking the Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters, to talk directly to Chinese counterparts about it.

China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion law comes into effect on Wednesday.

Australia's government said it had raised concerns directly with China over the law, which allowed Beijing to target people overseas.

It included a clause that people and groups beyond the borders of the People's Republic of China can be held legally accountable for undermining "ethnic unity and progress or inciting ethnic separatism".

"It's a suggestion that Beijing believes it can reach beyond those borders and potentially intimidate or punish people living in free democracies like New Zealand or Australia or Canada," McClure told Midday Report.

She said the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China will have a discussion about the issue on Wednesday.

"I will be emailing the Minister of Foreign Affairs directly to raise these concerns and to ensure that we do have some dialogue with our Chinese counterparts about this legislation and what implications it may mean for Chinese or diaspora living in New Zealand."

She thought it would be appropriate for the Minister to take up the matter directly with China.

"I do think it's important that we raise the concerns at some level, because we don't want to see any of these communities here feeling intimidated.

"We know there's been reports done by the SIS into foreign interference. We know that there are groups already in New Zealand that feel that they can't freely... go to a protest, for example, or attend a Taiwanese event without feeling the intimidation from the Chinese government.

"That's already happening in New Zealand right now, so I think it's really important that we don't see an escalation in that behaviour because of this potential legislation.

"And I think we should make it very clear to the Chinese government that New Zealand is sovereign and we do have our own domestic laws here. And we do protect the rights and freedoms of New Zealanders, no matter if they're born here or if they immigrate here."

McClure was among the four New Zealand MPs banned from entering China for a year after a visit to Taiwan.

The Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs referred RNZ to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) for comments.

A spokesperson at MFAT said the department was aware of the law's implementation and was currently assessing it.

RNZ also approached the Chinese Embassy for comment.