‘Go back to your own country’: NZ foreign minister faces backlash

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters is facing criticism after telling a Chinese-born member of parliament to “go back to your own country” during a parliamentary debate. The report, published on July 30, 2026, said the comment prompted backlash within New Zealand and drew a response from China.

According to the Al Jazeera account, Beijing urged New Zealand politicians not to bring China into domestic political disputes. The article text provided does not identify the MP, specify the topic of the parliamentary exchange, or detail any formal disciplinary action, apology, or government response beyond the reported criticism and China’s statement.

The incident is politically sensitive because Peters is New Zealand’s foreign minister, a role that involves managing the country’s external relationships, including with China. China is a major regional power and an important partner for New Zealand, so remarks that appear to target a Chinese-born lawmaker can carry implications beyond a domestic parliamentary confrontation.

More broadly, the backlash reflects ongoing scrutiny in many democracies over language used toward immigrant-origin politicians and ethnic minority communities. Based on the supplied report, the central development is the controversy around Peters’s remark, the domestic criticism it generated, and China’s warning against invoking Beijing in New Zealand’s internal political arguments.