[1] Peter Chin is a descendant of the earliest Chinese immigrants to New Zealand,[2] and his family owned a fish and chips take-away establishment in Dunedin.

[1] As Mayor, Chin supported the Forsyth Barr Stadium, which drew controversy over its cost and source of funding.

[4] In the 2003 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to local-body and community affairs.

Chin suffered a heart attack on New Year's eve, 2014[19] whilst on a plane from Dunedin to Wellington to visit his son.

Chin played a minor part in the 1987 film Illustrious Energy, a historic drama based on the experiences of Chinese gold miners in Central Otago.