New Zealand minister faces backlash over ‘go back to your own country’ jibe at Chinese-origin MP

New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters is under fire from opposition leaders after he told a Chinese-born lawmaker to “go back” to his own country.The minister launched an attack on Green Party MP, Lawrence Xu-Nan, during a debate on Wednesday about New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The parliamentarian had asked Mr Peters if he was “vaccinated”.In response, the foreign minister told Mr Xu-Nan to “go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth”.“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," he said. New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters attends the Asean Post-Ministerial Conference with New Zealand on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center on 22 July 2026 in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines (Getty)Mr Xu-Nan was born in the Chinese city of Tianjin but he grew up in Auckland after moving here as a child in 1994. The comments drew ire from opposition lawmakers and a rare intervention from Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong.Writing on X, Mr Wang said while he preferred to stay out of domestic politics, “suffice it to say, sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else”.Prime minister Christopher Luxon also criticised Mr Peters for his comments, in a statement attributed as “National Party leader”."Winston Peters has a long track record of inappropriate attention-seeking comments designed to get the media and other politicians to talk about him instead of the issues Kiwis are facing. This is another example of that," Mr Luxon said."To our Kiwi-Chinese community, National and I back you, and to every New Zealander who wants representatives focused on the issues that matter to you, rather than attention-seeking for cheap headlines, Party Vote National."Mr Peters, instead of rescinding his statement, has doubled down. He decried the backlash to his comments as "pearl clutching and faux outrage". Responding to Mr Wang’s pointed remarks, he claimed it proved the point he had made in parliament. “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 you want to compare what our free democratic country has – in particular our parliament – then go back and see what it's like in those communist and dictatorship countries and look for yourself."If that offends the pearl clutchers and the communist shills labelling it as 'dangerous' – welcome to New Zealand,” he concluded. Speaking ahead of Question Time this week, the foreign minister dismissed the accusations of racism as "drivel"."I'm defending our democracy, and I'm proud of it."New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters speaks with Philippines foreign secretary Theresa Lazaro (not pictured) during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting (Reuters)Meanwhile, speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee, told parliament that Mr Peters's original remark was "inappropriate," but he stopped short of taking action, noting that no member raised a point of order over the exchange. "Please do not think that means that I approve comments like this," Mr Brownlee said."I'd like to have a higher quality of debate in this house, but in the end, the quality of the debate is entirely up to the members who are here."Mr Xu-Nan also addressed Mr Peters' comments, calling it a “desperate attempt to distract” from the coalition’s record."It's a little bit unbelievable to have a minister for foreign affairs, I guess, scapegoating the migrant communities as a distraction to shift the blame away from all of the harm that this government is doing," he told TVNZ. "What we want to see is prime minister Christopher Luxon actually stepping up and holding his ministers accountable for their behavioural patterns."Mr Xu-Nan said New Zealand was "in essence, a welcoming place, and people care for each other."This is not the first time Mr Peters has sparked controversy through his remarks targetting the lawmakers of foreign origin. In 2025, he and his deputy Shane Jones were forced to back down after the latter yelled “send the Mexicans home” at lawmaker Francisco Hernandez, who was born in the Philippines. Mr Peters later asked Mr Hernandez and Mr Xu-Nan to “show some gratitude” for being in New Zealand.