Foreign Minister Winston Peters told China-born MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to "go back to your own country" during a parliamentary Covid debate, prompting a public rebuke from China's ambassador Wang Xiaolong on X. Peters defended his comments as an assertion of democratic free speech and said the ambassador's response "proved my point." The incident follows earlier racially charged remarks involving NZ First and has intensified criticism of the party's rhetoric and possible diplomatic fallout.
Winston Peters Sparks Diplomatic Row After Telling China-Born MP to 'Go Back to Your Own Country'
Populist NZ First leader Winston Peters told a lawmaker of Chinese descent to "go back to your own country" (Brendan SMIALOWSKI)
New Zealand foreign minister and NZ First leader Winston Peters ignited controversy after he told Green Party MP Lawrence Xu-Nan — who was born in Tianjin, China, and raised in Auckland — to "go back to your own country" during a heated parliamentary debate over New Zealand's Covid response.
During the exchange, when Xu-Nan asked Peters, "Are you vaccinated?", Peters retorted that the MP had "come here five minutes ago" and added: "Go back to your own country. That's where they lie like a flatfish, but they don't lie like that here." He followed up by saying: "This is called a democracy, unlike what you're used to. Go back to where you've come from, you loudmouth."
The remarks drew a rare public response from China's ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong, who posted on X that, while he preferred to avoid intervening in domestic politics, "suffice it to say, sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else."
Peters replied on X that the ambassador's comments had "proven my point," defending his remarks as an expression of democratic free speech. On the platform he wrote: "We live in a democracy that includes free speech and rights -- those two values that other certain countries not only limit, but do so with force." He added: "If that offends the pearl clutchers and the communist shills labelling it as 'dangerous' -- welcome to New Zealand."
Context And Reaction
The incident comes amid ongoing scrutiny of NZ First for previous racially charged comments. Earlier this year, Peters' deputy Shane Jones drew criticism for saying New Zealand's free trade deal with India risked a "butter chicken tsunami." Last year, Jones shouted "send the Mexicans home" at Mexican-born MP Francisco Hernandez during a parliamentary debate; Peters later urged Hernandez and Xu-Nan to "show some gratitude" for being in New Zealand.
Critics say the latest exchange heightens concerns about racially charged rhetoric from prominent politicians and risks straining diplomatic ties with China. Supporters of Peters frame his remarks as blunt defence of democratic values and free speech. The episode has provoked debate in New Zealand over standards of parliamentary discourse, race, and the country's relationship with Beijing.
Key fact: The remarks were made during a parliamentary debate over Covid policy and prompted rare diplomatic comment from Beijing's envoy in Wellington.
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