China on Thursday criticized remarks by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters telling a Chinese-born opposition lawmaker to "go back to your own country."
"We have absolutely no interest in being dragged into the domestic politics of other countries," China's Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong wrote on US social media platform X.
"Suffice it to say, sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else," he added.
His comments came after an exchange with Green Party MP Lawrence Xu-Nan during a parliamentary debate sparked widespread backlash.
The exchange began during Parliament's general debate on Wednesday when Xu-Nan interrupted Peters' speech on New Zealand's COVID-19 response to ask whether he had been vaccinated.
Peters responded by telling Xu-Nan to "go back to your own country," adding that New Zealand was "a democracy, unlike what you're used to."
Xu-Nan, who was born in China, moved to New Zealand with his family in 1994.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the parliamentary debate was New Zealand's internal affair but urged respectful communication.
"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," Mao said.
