Academics say China's new ethnic unity law has ramifications for people living outside of the country.
The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law of China came into effect on Wednesday, with a provision indicating that Beijing could target people overseas for inciting ethnic separatism.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he was not concerned about the law, as China had no authority in New Zealand.
New Zealand Chinese history researcher Tze Ming Mok said there had been a lot of concern about the law from the wider diaspora and human rights communities.
"It just adds extra leverage to the forced assimilation policies that have been used to oppress and eliminate the culture of indigenous communities from within the Chinese territories of China over many decades," Mok said.
"The Tibetans have had their language and culture constantly under assault in China for decades," she said, adding that assimilation programmes have also been forced on other ethnic groups, including Uyghur and Mongolian.
The new law also stated that China's cause of ethnic unity would not be subject to interference by external forces, and overseas people who incited ethnic separatism would be held legally liable.
Despite Peters telling reporters he wasn't concerned by the new law, Mok said New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service (SIS) had been actively trying to tackle foreign interference, especially attempts from China.
"There was an entire strand of SIS and security services trying to get on top of the transnational repression that the Chinese government has been inflicting on communities in Aotearoa for quite a number of years now," she said.
She claimed people had been harassed, blackmailed or threatened, and China's new law could empower and motivate Chinese authorities to extend their influence on the diaspora communities here.
Mok believed the New Zealand government should do more.
"It's a real concern and I don't appreciate that the government is trying to downplay this in the press," she said.
"It would give us a lot more confidence to hear strong statements as per Australia where they've directly raised this as an issue with the Chinese government."
Duncan Campbell, a senior fellow at the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre, said there were precedents of citizens from other countries being detained in China, for example, Australian journalist Cheng Lei and author Yang Hengjun.
"I think there are real anxieties here and the anxiety really is now that this is all legal so that the Chinese government can say, 'Well, actually, we're just abiding by our law'," Campbell said.
Campbell said the law potentially had long-term ramifications for New Zealand citizens.
"The reality is that if the relationship between the People's Republic of China and any country is ruptured, then there is danger for people who, for one reason or another, wish to go to China."
Paul Chin, president of the New Zealand Chinese Association
Supplied
Paul Chin, president of the New Zealand Chinese Association, said people in New Zealand should feel safe to continue to express their identity, cultural heritage and personal views within the protections of New Zealand law.
"New Zealand's cultural values, including freedom of speech, freedom of association and respect for cultural diversity, must always be an important thing," Chin said.
However, Chin said it was important that discussions around the issue remained balanced and respectful so that "unnecessary polarisation" could be avoided.
"My view is that we shouldn't feel alarmed, but we should also remain informed because really Chinese New Zealanders are protected by New Zealand law," he said.
"I don't think it's something to be panicky about at all."
A spokesperson for Peters said everyone in New Zealand, regardless of citizenship, was protected by New Zealand law to express their views and religious and cultural freedoms.
"The law has only just come into effect on 1 July," the spokesperson said.
"We will be watching closely how it is implemented and we will seek further information from China."
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