New Zealand foreign minister in racism row with Chinese ambassador

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters ignited a diplomatic spat with China after telling a lawmaker of Chinese descent to "go back to your own country" during a parliamentary debate. The incident occurred Wednesday when Peters, leader of the populist NZ First party, responded to a question from Green Party member Lawrence Xu-Nan, who was born in China.

Peters, who is also New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister, told Xu-Nan, who grew up in Auckland, that he had "come here five minutes ago." He added, "Go back to where you've come from, you loudmouth." Peters contrasted this with "democracy, unlike what you're used to."

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Go back to your own country. 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.

The comments prompted a rare public response from China's ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong. Wang stated on X that while he typically avoids domestic politics, "sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else."

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Suffice it to say, sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else.

Peters swiftly retorted on X, asserting that Wang's reaction "proven my point." He defended his remarks as part of New Zealand's "democracy that includes free speech and rights," values he claimed are limited elsewhere. He welcomed any offense taken by critics, stating, "Welcome to New Zealand."

This is not the first time Peters or his NZ First party have faced accusations of racism. Earlier this year, Deputy leader Shane Jones described a trade deal with India as risking a "butter chicken tsunami." Last year, both Peters and Jones were criticized after Jones yelled "send the Mexicans home" at a Mexican-born MP.

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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. If that offends the pearl clutchers and the communist shills labelling it as ‘dangerous’, welcome to New Zealand.