A diplomatic dispute between the Philippines and China has escalated after Manila strongly condemned an artificial intelligence-generated video shared by China’s state-run China Daily, describing its portrayal of Filipinos as monkeys as “racist,” “offensive,” and “distressing.” The controversy has unfolded against the backdrop of persistent disagreements over territorial claims and access to fishing grounds in the South China Sea, where confrontations between the two countries have become increasingly frequent.
The video, posted on China Daily’s Facebook page on 10 July, appeared on the tenth anniversary of a landmark international arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea. While the decision marked a significant legal milestone for the Philippines, Beijing has consistently rejected the tribunal’s findings, maintaining what it describes as “indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters.”
In the AI-generated video, a monkey dressed in Filipino attire is shown being instructed on what to sing by symbolic arms representing the United States and Japan. The sequence later depicts the monkey pulling out a sheet of lyrics bearing the words “South China Sea arbitration award” before being thrown into the sea and blasted with water cannons. The imagery immediately drew condemnation from Philippine officials, who argued that it crossed a line beyond political messaging into racial dehumanisation.
In a statement, the Philippine foreign ministry said it drew “a firm line” at the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys, describing the imagery as deeply offensive and unacceptable. The department characterized the video as “contemptible propaganda” and demanded that it be removed immediately, framing its objection as both a response to the video’s content and a broader rejection of language and imagery that it said demeaned the Filipino people.
The criticism quickly spread across senior levels of the Philippine government. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro issued some of the strongest remarks, calling the video “a disgrace to any state that claims to exercise responsible regional leadership.” He said the production reflected a government that had resorted to racism, threats, and manufactured hatred rather than defending its territorial claims through “reason, evidence, or law.”
Teodoro also argued that the video’s treatment of the 2016 arbitral award and its depiction of violence against Filipinos and Philippine soldiers revealed what he described as the failures of China’s propaganda efforts. He further accused the Chinese Communist Party of engaging in conduct that undermined its credibility as a regional neighbour, saying the latest episode represented another example of dehumanisation during a period of already heightened friction between the two countries.
The timing of the video’s release added another layer of significance. The anniversary of the 2016 arbitration ruling remains politically sensitive for both governments. The tribunal’s decision rejected the legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, a ruling welcomed by Manila but dismissed by Beijing, which continues to reject the tribunal’s jurisdiction and conclusions. The anniversary has regularly served as a focal point for competing narratives surrounding sovereignty and international law.
The dispute over the video comes as maritime tensions continue to dominate relations between Manila and Beijing. Encounters between Philippine and Chinese vessels have repeatedly drawn international attention, with both governments accusing each other of actions that have heightened instability in contested waters. The South China Sea remains one of the region’s most contested maritime areas, where overlapping territorial claims have produced repeated confrontations involving coast guard ships, fishing vessels, and other government-operated craft.
Recent developments around Scarborough Shoal have further intensified those tensions. China recently installed a barrier at the entrance to the reef’s prized fishing grounds, restricting access to an area relied upon by Filipino fishermen. The barrier was later removed following protests by the Philippine government, but the incident added to a growing list of maritime disputes that continue to strain bilateral relations.
Filipino fishermen have also continued to allege that Chinese personnel use water cannons against their boats and cut anchor lines in efforts to force them away from the disputed fishing grounds. Those allegations have become part of a wider pattern of competing accounts over activities at sea, with each incident reinforcing the broader dispute over access, sovereignty, and maritime enforcement in the contested waters.
Adding to Manila’s concerns, Beijing has previously announced plans to establish a nature reserve near Scarborough Shoal. Philippine officials have viewed that proposal as a potential pretext for strengthening China’s presence in the area, further complicating an already sensitive territorial dispute that has remained unresolved despite years of diplomatic engagement and legal proceedings.
The AI-generated video has now become another point of contention in that wider geopolitical rivalry, linking questions of digital media, state messaging, and international diplomacy with longstanding territorial disagreements. By releasing the video on a symbolic anniversary tied directly to the arbitration ruling, the controversy has drawn renewed attention to the competing narratives surrounding the South China Sea and the increasingly public nature of disputes between the two governments.
As criticism from Manila mounted, Chinese authorities had not publicly responded to the Philippine government’s condemnation of China Daily or its demand that the video be removed. The absence of an official response leaves the dispute unresolved, with the controversy unfolding alongside continuing maritime confrontations and diplomatic disagreements over one of Asia’s most contested stretches of water.
