Philippines Protests China Daily's 'Racist' AI Video

Jul 17, 2026

65 min

Jul 17, 2026 09:31

Philippines lodges protest over China Daily's 'racist' AI video depicting Filipinos as monkey character

## Diplomatic Protest Filed

The Philippines has officially protested against China Daily, a state-owned Chinese newspaper, for an AI-generated video that portrays Filipinos as monkeys. The video, which was posted on China Daily's Facebook page on July 10, has been criticized by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for its "demeaning and racist" content.

## Meeting with Chinese Ambassador

On July 16, Philippine Foreign Affairs undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim met with Chinese ambassador Jing Quan to express strong objections to the video and related editorial cartoons. The DFA has demanded the immediate removal of the content, stating it undermines mutual respect between the two nations.

## Offensive Imagery

The video features a monkey character wearing a traditional Philippine barong, symbolizing Filipinos, and includes a scene where the character is hit by a water cannon. This imagery is seen as particularly offensive, echoing stereotypes and referencing real-life maritime confrontations between the two countries in the South China Sea.

## Ongoing Tensions

This protest adds to the existing tensions over the South China Sea, where the Chinese Coast Guard has used water cannons against Philippine vessels. The dispute is rooted in a 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China's territorial claims, affirming the Philippines' rights in the region. Despite the ruling, China continues to assert its claims.

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