New Zealand FM in row with Beijing's envoy after telling Chinese-born lawmaker to 'go back to your own country'

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>New Zealand’s top diplomat Winston Peters drew the ire of Beijing’s ambassador in Wellington on Thursday after telling a lawmaker of Chinese descent to “go back to your own country”.</p> <p>During a debate about New Zealand’s response to the Covid pandemic on Wednesday, populist NZ First leader Peters was asked by China-born Green Party member Lawrence Xu-Nan: “Are you vaccinated?”</p> <p>In response, Peters said the lawmaker, who was born in the Chinese city of Tianjin but grew up in Auckland, had “come here five minutes ago”.</p> <p>“Go back to your own country. That’s where they lie like a flatfish, but they don’t lie like that here,” Peters said.</p> <p>“This is called a democracy, unlike what you’re used to. Go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth.”</p> <p>The comments sparked a rare intervention from Chinese ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong.</p> <p>Wang said on X on Thursday that 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”.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/AmbChina2NZ/status/2082551684946100263'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbChina2NZ/status/2082551684946100263"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>Peters fired back at Wang, saying his comments had “proven my point”.</p> <p>“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,” Peters said on X.</p> <p>“If that offends the pearl clutchers and the communist shills labelling it as ‘dangerous’ – welcome to New Zealand”.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/winstonpeters/status/2082630319090602062'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/winstonpeters/status/2082630319090602062"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>It’s not the first time Peters and his party — seen as kingmakers in New Zealand’s fractured political system — have received criticism for racist comments.</p> <p>Earlier this year Peters’ deputy Shane Jones criticised New Zealand’s free trade deal with India as risking a “<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1994082">butter chicken tsunami</a>”.</p> <p>Last year Peters and Jones were forced to back down after the deputy yelled “send the Mexicans home” at MP Francisco Hernandez during a debate.</p> <p>Peters had followed up that comment by telling Hernandez, who was actually born in the Philippines, and Xu-Nan to “show some gratitude” for being in New Zealand.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.