New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has sparked a diplomatic protest from China after making comments to a Chinese-born lawmaker during a debate in parliament. Peters told Lawrence Xu-Nan, a Green Party lawmaker born in Tianjin, China, to “go back to your own country” after Xu-Nan heckled him.
China’s Response
The Chinese embassy in New Zealand made an official protest to the country’s foreign affairs ministry, calling Peters’ comments “negative China-related remarks”. The embassy also urged New Zealand to “do more things conducive to bilateral relations rather than the other way around”.
Peters has stood by his comments, which were made during a debate on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said his comments were aimed at “defending New Zealand’s democracy”.
China is New Zealand’s biggest trading partner, with two-way trade exceeding $23.83 billion in the year ending September 2025.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
