Philippines protests offensive China’s state-owned daily “AI-generated” content on Arbitral Award
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has filed a diplomatic protest over China Daily’s “racist” depiction of Filipinos in its series of op-ed videos and editorial cartoons.
A screenshot of China Daily’s AI-generated video which depicted the Philippines as a monkey forced to sing by “America” and “Japan”
Anna Mogato | July 17, 2026
MANILA – The Philippines protested China’s state-owned daily’s AI-generated videos and images depicting the country as a monkey, a criticism in response to the Arbitral Award that recognized the Philippines’ sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has filed a diplomatic protest over China Daily’s “racist” depiction of Filipinos in its series of op-ed videos and editorial cartoons.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim summoned China’s Ambassador, Jing Quan, and demanded that the materials be taken down. (Also read: Philippines remains confident that the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea will be finished this year)
“Such content is inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states and does no favors to the sound and stable management of bilateral relations,” the statement read.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing also submitted a formal letter to China Daily’s Editor-in-Chief to demand the takedown of the offensive material.
The DFA in its Thursday statement said the video released last July 10 “ is deeply offensive, distressing, and unacceptable.”
“As a Chinese state-run media outlet, China Daily’s conduct goes beyond legitimate political debate and employs blatantly demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist depictions of Filipinos,” the statement read.
“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.”
The Philippines had recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Arbitral Ruling. Multiple nations joined in affirming their support for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The DFA demanded the paper for offensive material and called for China’s government to “uphold dignity, respect, and truth in public discourse.”
Meanwhile, the Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., in a statement also released on Thursday, said that China Daily’s post exposed “the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of China’s propaganda machine.”
“Such contemptible propaganda is a disgrace to any State that claims to exercise responsible regional leadership,” Teodoro said. (Also read: Teodoro: West Philippine Sea should unite Filipinos, not divide them politically)
“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 in his statement added that the stunt had justified the Department of National Defense’s policy to hold no engagements or contacts with the Chinese Communist Party and its agencies.
“The recent spate of schizophrenic behavior of the Chinese Communist Party is too clear to disregard or to ignore,” Teodoro added.
“This latest act of dehumanization further reveals them as neither a secure and confident actor nor a trustworthy neighbor.” (Also read: At least 10 like-minded states affirm their support for the Philippine position on the West Philippine Sea)