The Philippine government formally demanded Thursday that China's state-run China Daily remove an AI-generated video depicting Filipinos as monkeys, with both the foreign ministry and the defense department issuing unusually sharp rebukes against Beijing's state media.
The video was posted to China Daily's Facebook account on July 10, timed to coincide with Philippine events marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China Daily Clip Cast Filipino As US-Japan Puppet
The video showed a monkey dressed in Filipino attire being directed by arms representing the United States and Japan on what to sing. After being called "stupid" in the clip, the monkey produced a sheet of lyrics bearing the words "South China Sea arbitration award" before being thrown into the sea and blasted by a vessel's water cannon.
In its July 16 statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that while Manila has long challenged Chinese distortions of the arbitral award — a ruling that found overwhelmingly in the Philippines' favor under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — the monkey imagery crossed a clear line. "We draw a firm line at the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys in the July 10, 2026 video, which is deeply offensive, distressing and unacceptable," the foreign ministry said. Beijing has never accepted the ruling as binding.
Teodoro: Racist Imagery Exposes China's Legal Failure
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. went further, describing the video as "contemptible propaganda" and "a disgrace to any state that claims to exercise responsible regional leadership." He framed Beijing's use of racial caricature as a sign of weakness rather than authority.
"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," Teodoro said. "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."
Teodoro also said the incident reinforced Manila's existing policy of suspending ministerial and Armed Forces of the Philippines defense engagements with the Chinese Communist Party and its agencies.
Scarborough Shoal Tensions Provide The Video's Backdrop
The outcry came amid deeply strained bilateral ties. Relations between Manila and Beijing have been marked by repeated maritime confrontations, aggressive maneuvers by Chinese vessels, Beijing's imposition of sanctions against Teodoro, and a floating barrier China installed at the entrance to the disputed Scarborough Shoal — later removed following Philippine protests.
The clip was also posted as the Philippines prepared for its July 12 commemoration of the ruling's 10th anniversary, which concluded with a joint statement co-signed by 13 nations — including the United States and Japan — affirming the award's legally binding status. Beijing dismissed the declaration as a fabrication aimed at vilifying China.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela also added his condemnation on social media. "Racism has no place in this day and age," he wrote, "and racism meant to belittle another race deserves nothing but condemnation."
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