New Zealand’s top diplomat Winston Peters drew the ire of Beijing’s ambassador in Wellington on Thursday after telling a lawmaker of Chinese descent to “go back to your own country”.

During a debate about New Zealand’s response to the Covid pandemic on Wednesday, populist NZ First leader Peters was asked by China-born Green Party member Lawrence Xu-Nan: “Are you vaccinated?”

In response, Peters said the lawmaker, who was born in the Chinese city of Tianjin but grew up in Auckland, had “come here five minutes ago”.

“Go back to your own country. That’s where they lie like a flatfish, but they don’t lie like that here,” Peters said.

“This is called a democracy, unlike what you’re used to. Go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth.”

The comments sparked a rare intervention from Chinese ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong.

Wang said on X on Thursday that while he preferred to stay out of domestic politics, “suffice it to say, sometimes, a statement says more about the person that makes it than anything or anybody else”.

Peters fired back at Wang, saying his comments had “proven my point”.

“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,” Peters said on X.

“If that offends the pearl clutchers and the communist shills labelling it as ‘dangerous’ – welcome to New Zealand”.

It’s not the first time Peters and his party — seen as kingmakers in New Zealand’s fractured political system — have received criticism for racist comments.

Earlier this year Peters’ deputy Shane Jones criticised New Zealand’s free trade deal with India as risking a “butter chicken tsunami”.

Last year Peters and Jones were forced to back down after the deputy yelled “send the Mexicans home” at MP Francisco Hernandez during a debate.

Peters had followed up that comment by telling Hernandez, who was actually born in the Philippines, and Xu-Nan to “show some gratitude” for being in New Zealand.