Philippines orders takedown of China Daily video depicting locals as monkeys

Neena Mae Rayos, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
July 17, 2026

(Photo Courtesy: China Daily | YouTube)

MANILA – On July 16, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) formally demanded the removal of an AI-generated video posted by the Chinese state-run outlet China Daily on July 10, which depicts Filipinos as monkeys in the context of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

In the statement issued, the DFA condemned the footage as “blatantly demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist,” asserting that such imagery transcends legitimate political debate and has no place in responsible public discourse.

The video features a monkey character wearing a traditional Philippine barong, getting hit by a water cannon and being shoved around a makeshift stage.

Manila called for the immediate takedown of the video and an end to similar content, warning that these actions only deepen distrust between the two nations.

While the Philippines has consistently rejected distortions regarding the 2016 ruling that invalidated China’s expansive South China Sea claims and affirmed Philippine rights in its exclusive economic zone, the DFA emphasized that such dehumanizing depictions cross a line no legal or political disagreement can justify.