New Zealand foreign minister in racism row with Chinese ambassador

New Zealand's top diplomat, Winston Peters, ignited controversy on July 30 after telling a lawmaker of Chinese descent to "go back to your own country" during a parliamentary debate. The exchange occurred during a discussion about New Zealand's response to the Covid-19 pandemic when Peters, the populist NZ First leader, was questioned by China-born Green Party member Lawrence Xu-Nan about his vaccination status.

Peters, responding to Xu-Nan, who was born in Tianjin but raised in Auckland, stated the lawmaker had "come here five minutes ago." He continued, "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."

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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 remarks prompted a rare public statement from China's ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong. On July 30, Wang posted on X (formerly Twitter) that while he generally avoids domestic politics, "sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else."

This is not the first instance of Peters or his NZ First party facing criticism for alleged racist comments. In 2026, Peters' deputy, Shane Jones, drew criticism for suggesting New Zealand's free trade deal with India risked a "butter chicken tsunami." Previously, in 2025, Peters and Jones were criticized after Jones yelled "send the Mexicans home" at Mexican-born MP Francisco Hernandez during a debate. Peters had also told Hernandez and Xu-Nan at the time to "show some gratitude" for being in New Zealand.

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