The Philippines has condemned a China Daily AI-generated video depicting Filipinos as monkeys, calling it racist and unacceptable. The video coincided with the 10th anniversary of a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's claims in the South China Sea.
The incident escalates diplomatic tensions between the Philippines and China, highlighting the ongoing dispute over the South China Sea and China's use of state media to disseminate potentially inflammatory content.
The Philippines has condemned China Daily, a state-run Chinese media outlet, for releasing an AI-generated video that depicted Filipinos as monkeys. The Philippine foreign ministry described the imagery as 'racist, offensive, distressing and unacceptable,' demanding its removal. The video, posted on July 10, coincided with the 10th anniversary of a landmark 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea, a decision Beijing rejects.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro denounced the material as 'contemptible propaganda' and 'a disgrace to any State that claims to exercise responsible regional leadership.' He stated that the episode exposed '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.'
The video portrayed a monkey in Filipino attire being directed by arms representing the United States and Japan, subsequently being called 'stupid,' pulling a sheet of lyrics bearing 'South China Sea arbitration award,' and being thrown into the sea and blasted by a vessel's water cannon. The clip remains on China Daily's Facebook page.
This rebuke comes amid already strained relations between the Philippines and China over South China Sea tensions, including maritime confrontations, aggressive maneuvers by Chinese vessels, and disputes over floating barriers.