China Lodges Protest Over NZ Minister's Slur at Chinese-Born MP as Embassy Warns on Bilateral Ties
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · Jul 30
China Lodges Protest Over NZ Minister's Slur at Chinese-Born MP as Embassy Warns on Bilateral Ties
3 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · Jul 30
Summary
Beijing on Thursday escalated the row by lodging an official protest and urging "relevant people in New Zealand" not to turn China into a domestic political issue.
The protest followed Foreign Minister Winston Peters' "go back to your own country" remark in parliament aimed at Chinese-born opposition MP Lawrence Xu-Nan during a Covid-19 debate.
China's embassy in Wellington added pressure with a rare social media statement, telling New Zealand to "treasure" the equal, mutually beneficial relationship and avoid actions that damage ties.
The embassy also tied the dispute to treatment of New Zealand's Chinese community, urging Wellington to protect their rights and maintain an open, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has already called Peters' remark inappropriate, but the clash has now widened from a domestic race dispute into a bilateral diplomatic issue.