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Trigger Warning: This combination of AI-generated images published by China Daily on July 10, 2026 shows the communist nation mocking Filipinos and the 2016 South China Sea arbitration award in a very racist manner. The Philippines has strongly condemned the publication of these images. (Courtesy: China
The Philippine government on Friday lodged a formal diplomatic protest with China over an artificial intelligence-generated video posted on social media by state-sanctioned China Daily depicting Filipinos as monkeys.
Government officials, lawmakers, and civil society groups condemned the state-run Chinese media outlet’s portrayal as racist, dehumanizing, and an attack on the country’s dignity.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it had demanded the immediate removal of the materials and warned that such depictions undermine mutual respect and further erode trust between the Philippines and China.
“The Philippines first conveyed its firm objection to the offensive content when Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim raised the matter directly with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan in a face-to-face meeting on 16 July 2026,” the DFA said.
“Undersecretary Herrera-Lim demanded that the materials be taken down, stressing that such content is inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states and does no favors to the sound and stable management of bilateral relations,” it added.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing also sent a formal letter to China Daily’s editor-in-chief reiterating the demand for the immediate removal of the video.
The DFA said the July 10 video and editorial cartoons went beyond legitimate political debate by resorting to “demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist depictions” of Filipinos.
“The Philippines has consistently rejected false narratives and distortions regarding the Arbitral Award and the Philippines’ lawful positions in the South China Sea. But we draw a firm line at the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys in the 10 July 2026 video, which is deeply offensive, distressing, and unacceptable,” the department said.
“Disagreement over legal and political issues does not justify resorting to disturbing imagery, which has no place in the civil public discourse of a responsible state.”
Monkey in barong, salakot water-cannoned
The controversial video, posted on China Daily’s Facebook page on July 10, showed a monkey wearing a barong Tagalog and a salakot being directed by characters representing the United States and Japan.
After being handed a copy of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award, the monkey is launched via slingshot into a water cannon, a reference to previous encounters between the Chinese coast guard and Philippine vessels.
The video was released two days before the 10th anniversary of the landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea and affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone.
Earlier Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard condemned the video.
“Racism has no place in this day and age—and racism meant to belittle another race deserves nothing but condemnation. Filipinos are not monkeys!” Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said.
“I don’t think there is any other justifiable reason to come up with this AI video to portray Filipinos as monkeys,” he told Agence France-Presse.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also denounced the video, calling it “a revealing insight into what the Chinese communist apparatus thinks of the Filipino people.”
“This mockery of the lawful 2016 Arbitral Award and the video’s glorification of violence against the Filipino people and soldiers expose the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of China’s propaganda machine,” Mr. Teodoro said.
“Such contemptible propaganda is a disgrace to any State that claims to exercise responsible regional leadership. It reveals the weakness of a government that resorts to racism, threats, and manufactured hatred because it has utterly failed to defend its ridiculous claims through reason, evidence, or law.”
He said the Philippines was justified “in our policy of no Ministerial or AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) defense engagements or contacts with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) or any of its agencies.”
“The recent spate of schizophrenic behavior of the Chinese Communist Party is too clear to disregard or to ignore. This latest act of dehumanization further reveals them as neither a secure and confident actor nor a trustworthy neighbor,” he added.
NSC, Senate, House join condemnation
On Friday, the National Security Council (NSC) joined the condemnation.
“The National Security Council condemns in the strongest terms the AI-generated video released by Chinese state media portraying the Filipino people through racist and dehumanizing imagery while promoting false narratives on the West Philippine Sea,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Año Oban Jr. said.
He stressed that the 2016 arbitral award remains legally binding.
“It affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone and reinforced a principle that protects every nation, large or small: that rights at sea are determined by international law, not by power, intimidation, or manufactured narratives,” he said.
“When a legal position cannot be sustained before the law, the effort shifts to undermining the law itself, and those who uphold it. Racist caricatures and manufactured narratives cannot erase legal facts. They only expose the absence of a credible legal answer.”
“The cartoon is fleeting; the 2016 Arbitral Award endures,” he added.
Lawmakers from both the Senate and the House also denounced the video.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said, “There is no room for racism in free speech.”
“Racism has no place in any society that values truth and civility. Disagreements between nations should sharpen our reasoning, not our prejudices. We call on all sides to be more circumspect, and to choose dialogue over derision.”
“We condemn the abuse and mockery of the dignity of Filipinos. The media has a great responsibility in shaping how countries perceive one another, and it should not be used in the wrong way.”
Senator Francis Pangilinan called the video “blatantly racist, derogatory, and completely unacceptable.”
“Instead of promoting understanding and respect, this type of propaganda not only insults Filipinos but also damages China’s aspiration to be recognized as a responsible and respected leader in the international community,” he said, urging Beijing to order China Daily to remove the video, issue a public apology, and hold those responsible accountable.
Senator Robinhood Padilla backed the DFA’s protest, saying, “Disagreements between states should be addressed through diplomacy, international law, and respectful dialogue—not through propaganda that insults an entire nation and undermines efforts to build trust and understanding.”
In the House of Representatives, Pinoy Workers Party-list Rep. Karl Josef Fernandez Legazpi described the depiction as “a blatant insult to the dignity of Filipinos.”
“Propaganda will not change the truth. The rights recognized under international law, including those affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award, cannot be erased by bullying or ridicule,” he said.
Deputy Speakers Paolo Ortega and Jay Khonghun, together with Reps. Zia Alonto Adiong and Ernix Dionisio, said the video was “a vile, racist attack” that exposed “the moral bankruptcy and intellectual desperation of Beijing’s propaganda apparatus.”
Opposition solons also bash video
Opposition lawmakers also criticized the video. House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima said it showed “China’s arrogance knows no bounds” and reflected “the mindset of an entitled bully.”
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio called the video “a disgusting, racist portrayal of Filipinos” that exposed “the profound weakness and moral bankruptcy of China’s propaganda machinery.”
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña described the material as “a bare-naked display of bigotry.”
Outside Congress, Akbayan Party condemned the video as “a racist propaganda stunt.”
“When you have international law against you and the international community rejecting your claims, all that’s left are AI-generated videos, fake history and racist insults. This is not strength, it is desperation,” Akbayan president Rafaela David said.
She added: “No amount of AI-generated propaganda can erase our West Philippine Sea victory. China cannot deepfake legitimacy or algorithm its way out of international law.”
The controversy comes days after the Philippines and 13 partner countries reaffirmed that the 2016 arbitral ruling is legally binding, a position Beijing continues to reject.
— Rex Espiritu, Katrina Manubay, Ram Superable, Joel E. Zurbano, Rio N. Araja & Maricel Cruz 2ith Agence France Presse
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Credit belongs to: www.manilastandard.net
