China Protests After NZ Foreign Minister Tells Chinese-Born MP to Go Back - Time News
China lodged a formal diplomatic protest with New Zealand on Thursday after Foreign Minister Winston Peters told Chinese-born opposition lawmaker Lawrence Xu-Nan to go back to your own country during a. . .
China lodged a formal diplomatic protest with New Zealand on Thursday after Foreign Minister Winston Peters told Chinese-born opposition lawmaker Lawrence Xu-Nan to go back to your own country during a parliamentary debate on the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating a domestic race dispute into international friction. Parliamentary Clash Over Pandemic Response and RaceThe diplomatic confrontation stems from a fiery debate in New Zealand’s parliament on Wednesday regarding the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the proceedings, Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who leads the populist New Zealand First party, targeted Green Party representative Lawrence Xu-Nan with hostile remarks. Xu-Nan, an opposition lawmaker born in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin who grew up in East Auckland, faced heckling that prompted Peters to lash out. According toreporting from Reuters, Peters told the lawmaker to leave the country. Peters continued his attack by branding the opposition politician a loudmouth and asserting that the chamber operated under a democratic system unlike what you’re used to. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon subsequently criticized the remarks asinappropriate attention-seeking comments, while Xu-Nan accused the foreign minister ofscapegoating the migrant communitiesto distract from the government’s policy record. Beijing Lodges Formal Protest Through AmbassadorThe domestic political brawl quickly crossed into international diplomacy when Beijing intervened on Thursday. China lodged formal diplomatic representationswith New Zealand officials over the negative remarks made in parliament. Photo: SCMPJapan Protests Chinese and Russian Live-Fire Drill Near OkinotoriThe official protest involved a rare social media statement and a direct meeting between the Chinese embassy and New Zealand’s foreign affairs ministry. Wang Xiaolong, the Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, took to the platform X to voice his disapproval of the incident. In its official Thursday statement, the Chinese embassy in Wellington urged New Zealand totreasure the equal and mutually beneficial relationshipbetween the two nations. The embassy also called on Wellington to respect and protect the legitimate rights and interests of the local Chinese community while creating an open, inclusive, and non-discriminatory environment. Simultaneously, the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing cautioned relevant political figures in New Zealandnot to play up China as an issue in its domestic politics. Peters Doubles Down Amid Economic StakesRather than walking back his statements, Peters doubled down on his rhetoric. He dismissed his critics as pearl-clutchers and communist shills. According to a statement released by his own ministry, Peters was fully briefed on the conversation between the foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy but chose to stand by his comments, framing them as an act ofdefending New Zealand’s democracy. 'Go back to your own country': NZ foreign minister faces backlashThis diplomatic friction hits a sensitive economic nerve for Wellington. China stands asNew Zealand’s biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing NZ$41 billion ($23. 83 billion) in the year ending September 2025. Worth a lookGreece Wildfires: Three Firefighters Dead as Thousands Evacuate Crete and PeloponneseShell Profits Double to $9. 8 Billion Amid Surging Energy PricesRelatedAhmed Ibrahim World EditorBilingual (Arabic/English) correspondent who has reported from 30+ countries on diplomacy, conflict and climate.