Philippines condemns China’s state-run policies China Daily Aired an AI-generated video depicting Filipinos as monkeys, and criticized the footage as “racist,” “offensive,” and “harrowing.”
In a video shared on China Daily’s Facebook page, a monkey dressed in Filipino costume is shown holding weapons representing the United States and Japan and being told what to sing.
The video was posted on July 10 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the landmark court ruling invalidating China’s entire claims in the South China Sea.
However, the Chinese government has long rejected the court’s decision, insisting that China has “indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters.”
“We draw a firm line at the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys in the July 10, 2026 video. This is extremely offensive, distressing and unacceptable,” the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
A Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft captures a vessel identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as a Chinese research vessel (Getty Images)
The monkey in the China Daily video removes a lyric sheet with the words “South China Sea Arbitration Award” written on it, then is thrown into the sea and blown up with a water cannon.
Manila labeled the video “despicable propaganda” and demanded its immediate removal.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the video was “a disgrace to a nation that claims to provide responsible regional leadership.”
This “revealed the weakness of a government that resorted to racism, intimidation, and manufactured hatred, with a complete failure to defend absurd claims with reason, evidence, and law,” the defense secretary said.
“This mockery of a legitimate 2016 arbitral award and a video glorifying violence against Filipino citizens and soldiers exposes the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of China’s propaganda machine,” Teodoro said Thursday.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s recent spate of schizophrenic actions is too obvious to ignore or ignore. This latest act of dehumanization makes it even clearer that they are neither safe, confident actors nor reliable neighbors,” he said.
People pass an electronic billboard marking disputed areas of the South China Sea (AP)
The defense secretary’s comments came amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China over access to the South China Sea, including a maritime standoff and aggressive maneuvers.
The dispute also recently emerged when China erected a barrier at the entrance to the valuable fishing area of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, but removed it after protests in the Philippines.
Filipino fishermen still claim that the Chinese used water cannons and cut anchor lines to chase away fishing boats.
Beijing has also previously announced plans to establish a nature reserve near Scarborough Shoal, which Manila views as a “pretext for occupation.”
Chinese authorities have not yet responded to the Philippine criticism. China Daily.
