During a parliamentary debate on July 29, 2026, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters told Green Party MP Lawrence Xu-Nan, who was born in Tianjin, China and moved to New Zealand in 1994, to "go back to your own country." Peters 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. Go back to where you've come from, you loudmouth." He added that Xu-Nan had "come here five minutes ago," contrasting New Zealand democracy with the system Xu-Nan was "used to" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong responded on July 30 on social media platform X by criticizing Peters' remarks. Wang said, "Suffice it to say, sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else," while expressing a desire to remain out of New Zealand's domestic politics [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Peters fired back later that day, reaffirming New Zealand's commitment to free speech and democracy. He said, "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 that offends the pearl clutchers and the communist shills labelling it as 'dangerous'—welcome to New Zealand." He criticized those who condemned his remarks as dangerous [2, 4].

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that New Zealand’s parliamentary debate is an internal affair but urged respectful communication. Mao added, "China always believes that it’s important to respect the development paths and systems chosen by the people, and we oppose any form of discrimination and prejudice." [5]

This is not the first time Peters or his party have been criticized for racist comments. In 2025, Peters’ deputy Shane Jones made controversial remarks about New Zealand’s free trade deal with India and shouted "send the Mexicans home" at a Mexican-born MP [1, 2, 4].

Lawmaker Lawrence Xu-Nan has lived in New Zealand since 1994, growing up in Auckland [1, 2, 3, 5].

The incident escalated shortly after the July 29 debate and drew strong responses from both New Zealand and Chinese officials, highlighting tensions around race and politics. No further official statements have been reported as of August 7.