China lodged a diplomatic protest with New Zealand on Thursday after Foreign Minister Winston Peters made controversial remarks about a Chinese-born lawmaker during a parliamentary debate, triggering criticism at home and a response from Beijing.
The dispute arose during Wednesday’s debate on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Peters responded to interjections from Green Party lawmaker Lawrence Xu-Nan by telling him to “go back to your own country”.
Peters also said, “That’s where they lie like a flatfish, but they don’t lie like that here. This is called a democracy, unlike what you’re used to. Go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth.”
China lodges diplomatic protest
Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong responded on social media, saying such remarks reflected more on the speaker than anyone else.
The Chinese embassy later said an official had made solemn representations to New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade over what it described as “negative China-related remarks”.
In its statement, the embassy urged New Zealand to take actions that would help strengthen bilateral relations rather than undermine them.
Remarks criticised in New Zealand
Xu-Nan, who was born in Tianjin and grew up in East Auckland, told local broadcaster TVNZ that Peters was “scapegoating the migrant communities” to divert attention from the government’s record.
The remarks also drew criticism from lawmakers, including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who reportedly described them as “inappropriate attention-seeking comments”.
Despite the backlash, Peters defended his position. According to a statement from his ministry, he was briefed on the discussion between New Zealand officials and the Chinese embassy and continued to stand by his remarks, saying they were intended to defend New Zealand’s democracy.
Peters also dismissed his critics, referring to them as “pearl-clutchers” and “communist shills”.
Trade ties remain significant
The diplomatic dispute comes despite the close economic relationship between the two countries.
China remains New Zealand’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade exceeding NZ$41 billion in the year ending September 2025.
