New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters is at the centre of a diplomatic dispute after he told Chinese-born MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to “go back to your own country” during a parliamentary debate. The exchange followed Peters being asked by Xu-Nan, a Green Party member, whether he was vaccinated during a discussion on New Zealand’s Covid-19 response. Peters responded that Xu-Nan “came here five minutes ago” and added comments urging him to leave, including language describing the lawmaker as a “loudmouth.”
The remarks drew widespread criticism within New Zealand. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and former Prime Minister Helen Clark both condemned Peters’ comments as inappropriate. Peters did not retract the statements and continued to defend them, framing the issue as related to free speech.
Chinese officials reacted with a rare intervention. Chinese ambassador Wang Xiaolong made public comments on social media addressing the matter and later New Zealand received, or was told it received, a formal complaint from China expressing displeasure. Peters also responded to the ambassador online, saying it supported his position. Sources describe the episode as part of a broader pattern of controversies involving Peters and his party’s rhetoric.
