China filed a diplomatic protest with New Zealand on Thursday after Foreign Minister Winston Peters directed a string of remarks at a Chinese-born member of parliament during a parliamentary debate this week.
The comments were made on Wednesday during a debate focused on the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Peters, who leads the populist New Zealand First party, told Green Party lawmaker Lawrence Xu-Nan to "go back to your own country" while responding to heckling from Xu-Nan.
Xu-Nan, who was born in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin and grew up in East Auckland, had been interjecting during the debate when Peters replied: "That’s where they lie like a flatfish, but they don’t lie like that here." He added: "This is called a democracy, unlike what you’re used to. Go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth."
Wang Xiaolong, the Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, posted a response on X noting that "a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else." In a separate statement, the Chinese embassy said an official had made solemn representations about the "negative China-related remarks" during a meeting with New Zealand’s foreign affairs ministry.
The episode prompted rebukes from other New Zealand lawmakers. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon criticised what media described as "inappropriate attention-seeking comments." Xu-Nan told TVNZ that Peters was "scapegoating the migrant communities" to divert attention from the government's record.
The Chinese embassy urged New Zealand to "do more things conducive to bilateral relations rather than the other way around," according to its statement. Peters, however, rejected the criticisms and doubled down on his language, calling detractors "pearl-clutchers" and "communist shills."
Peters' ministry issued a statement saying he had been briefed on the conversation with the Chinese embassy and that he stood by his remarks, which the ministry said were intended to defend New Zealand’s democracy.
The diplomatic protest arrives while China remains New Zealand’s largest trading partner. Two-way trade between the countries exceeded NZ$41 billion - equivalent to $23.83 billion - in the year ending September 2025. The article uses an exchange rate of $1 = 1.7206 New Zealand dollars when noting the dollar equivalent.
Context and ongoing points
- The incident occurred during a parliamentary debate on the government's COVID-19 response and involved direct remarks from the foreign minister to an opposition lawmaker.
- A formal diplomatic representation was made by the Chinese embassy to New Zealand’s foreign affairs ministry concerning the remarks.
- Domestic political figures, including the prime minister, publicly criticised the conduct, while the foreign minister maintained his position.