FINANCE Minister Penny Wong has told Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey that "we don't all look the same", after he described a candidate of Vietnamese background as Chinese.

Mr Hockey was opening a Sydney campaign office for the Liberal candidate for Banks when he turned his attention to the party's candidate for the Victorian seat of Chisholm, John Nguyen.

Mr Hockey described Mr Nguyen as Chinese.

Mr Nguyen, in fact, arrived in Australia from Vietnam in 1980 with his grandparents as a refugee fleeing communist persecution, according to his bio.

Mr Hockey later tweeted: ``Sorry I should have said John Nguyen is a Vietnamese Australian candidate as I corrected later in the presser. And yes he is outstanding!

"My recollection was he had a Chinese Mum. But I understand I am wrong. He has a great story."

Senator Wong, Malaysian born and the first Asian to hold a cabinet position, this afternoon gave a brief comment.

"What I'd say to Joe is we don't all look the same, mate," she said.

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Originally published as 'We don't all look the same, Joe'