The Philippines has condemned China Daily’s AI‑generated video that mocked its maritime claims with a monkey wearing a Philippine shirt topped by American and Japanese flags.
“The depiction is dehumanising and racist,” said Manila’s foreign ministry. The ministry demanded that the clip be removed from Chinese social media, adding that such imagery “inflames mistrust” between the two nations.
In the video, the monkey first angrily shouts after being forced onto a rickety karaoke stage on a boat. When it sings an incorrect song, it is punished by pulling out a sheet reading “South China Sea arbitration award” and is then hurled into the sea while courted by a water cannon.
Over the past decade, tensions have worsened over the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal—key flashpoints where China’s coast guard has routinely used high‑pressure water cannons against Philippine vessels, causing damage and injuries.
Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro called the clip “contemptible propaganda” and accused China of a “moral and intellectual bankruptcy” in its own propaganda machinery.
The clip was posted on 10 July and, as of this writing, still appears on China Daily’s Facebook page.
It marks the tenth anniversary of the 2023 Hague ruling that awarded the Philippines rights over the contested waters—an outcome Beijing rejects, claiming the tribunal lacked jurisdiction.
Since June, Beijing has erected a floating barrier at the entrance of Scarborough Shoal, later removing it after a Philippine protest, and has barred Teodoro and his immediate family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
China Daily’s accompanying caption dismissed the arbitration award as a “source of confrontation dressed up as law” and suggested that Manila’s actions in the sea render it “a pawn in someone else’s geopolitical game.” It was part of a series of cartoons mocking the Philippines, with depictions of Manila as a clown and snake.
Chinese authorities have yet to respond to Manila’s rebuke.
