New Zealand foreign minister's 'go back' remark to Chinese-born MP triggers rare Chinese protest
Winston Peters told Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan, who moved from Tianjin as a child, to 'go back to your own country' during a Covid-19 debate, drawing a rebuke from Beijing's envoy and a formal complaint.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters told a Chinese-born member of parliament to 'go back to your own country' during a parliamentary debate on the government's Covid-19 pandemic record on Wednesday, sparking a rare public intervention by China's ambassador to Wellington and a formal diplomatic complaint. The exchange, which unfolded in a session of the New Zealand House of Representatives, added an international dimension to an already tense domestic conversation about race relations and political conduct.
Peters, leader of the populist New Zealand First party, was responding to a question from Green Party lawmaker Lawrence Xu-Nan, who asked Peters whether he was vaccinated. Xu-Nan was born in the Chinese city of Tianjin and moved to New Zealand in 1994, growing up in Auckland. Peters retorted that the MP had 'come here five minutes ago' and said: '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 then told Xu-Nan to 'go back to where you've come from, you loudmouth.'
The following day, Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong posted on the social media platform X that he usually refrained from commenting on domestic politics, but added: 'Suffice it to say, sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else.' China's embassy in New Zealand subsequently lodged a formal complaint with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs over what it called 'offensive remarks related to China.' Peters, rather than apologising, countered that Wang's response 'proved my point' and insisted New Zealand's democracy guaranteed free speech and rights, values he claimed were limited or suppressed by force in 'certain countries.'
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, whose National Party governs in coalition with New Zealand First, criticised Peters' comments as 'inappropriate and designed to attract attention.' In a statement attributed to the National Party leader, Luxon said Peters had 'a long track record of inappropriate attention-seeking comments' and expressed support for the New Zealand Chinese community. The speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee, told parliament that the remarks were 'inappropriate,' but noted that no point of order had been raised at the time, and refrained from taking further action. Xu-Nan himself described the outburst as a 'desperate attempt to distract' from the government's record, and called on Luxon to hold ministers accountable.
The incident is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Peters and his party. Earlier this year, deputy leader Shane Jones drew criticism for warning that New Zealand's free trade deal with India risked a 'butter chicken tsunami,' and last year, Peters and Jones were forced to back down after Jones yelled 'send the Mexicans home' at Mexican-born MP Francisco Hernandez. Peters had then told both Hernandez and Xu-Nan to 'show some gratitude' for being in New Zealand. The dossier remains open, with no formal parliamentary sanction announced, but the Chinese embassy's complaint keeps the diplomatic dimension alive.
| Chinese press | −0.60 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic / Anglosphere press | −0.50 | critical |
| Arab Levant-Maghreb press | −0.60 | critical |
| Southeast Asian press | −0.50 | critical |
Beijing condemns the racist insult and calls on Wellington to respect mutual respect, stressing that such attitudes damage bilateral relations.
Chinese media universalize the episode by elevating it to a violation of diplomatic principles and national dignity, minimizing the specificity of New Zealand's political context.
Chinese media omit domestic New Zealand criticism of the minister, focusing solely on the diplomatic reaction.
The opposition and commentators condemn the minister for the racist remark, seen as a stain on New Zealand's democracy.
Atlantic media use the technique of personification of the state, identifying the minister as a representative of institutional failure, but without extending criticism to the entire country.
Atlantic media omit China's diplomatic reaction, focusing solely on New Zealand's domestic debate.
The Arab world sides with China against racism, denouncing the hypocrisy of the West that preaches democracy but practices discrimination.
Arab media perform a projection, attributing to the West the same accusations of racism that it levels at others, reversing the roles of victim and perpetrator.
Arab media omit the context of the Covid debate and domestic NZ criticism of the minister, focusing only on the racial aspect and China's reaction.
The Chinese community and Beijing strongly condemn the insult, demanding an apology and respect.
Southeast Asian media emphasize solidarity with China, presenting the episode as an affront to the global Chinese community, using a tone of victimization.
Southeast Asian media omit domestic NZ criticism and any apologies, focusing on China's emotional reaction.
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